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A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON MINERAL STATUS OF BLOOD PLASMA OF SMALL RUMINANTS AND PASTURES IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

ZAFAR IQBAL KHAN¹*, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF², KAFEEL AHMAD¹, IJAZ JAVED³ AND EHSAN ELAHI VALEEM⁴

Abstract: This paper reports the concentrations of some essential minerals (Mg, Cu and Zn) in soil, forage and blood plasma of grazing goats and sheep in two pastures (managed and unmanaged) in the south-western Punjab, Pakistan during two consecutive seasons of the year. The main aim was to evaluate and compare the mineral status of grazing ruminants on two different areas of the same farm in relation to seasonal variation. Mean mineral element concentrations in soil and forages in the managed pasture area tended to exceed levels over the unmanaged pasture area for almost all three investigated elements. Soil Mg and Cu concentrations were within the optimum range for active plant growth, but the levels of available Zn were below the critical limit. At both managed and unmanaged pastures, the effect of the season on both soil and forage mineral element concentrations were significant. The Zn concentrations in both summer and winter seasons in the managed pasture and Cu in the winter season were below the ruminants requirements, but Mg concentrations were above or within the recommended range. The plasma mineral profile of all animals fluctuated in relation to season and pasture. It was concluded that the mineral nutrition of the livestock at this region is almost adequate but at the marginal deficient level. This concentration may change abruptly to severe deficient levels at any time and may result in decreasing effective minerals particularly at the unmanaged location due to decrease in the levels of essential minerals in winter forages which are considered as the main reason for poor animal performance. Based on the information obtained from soil, pasture forage and plasma it is possible that low levels of Cu and Zn in soil and forage could potentially limit ruminant production. It is concluded that mineral supplement may continually be provided to the grazing animals to enhance the mineral status for maximizing the production potential of livestock at this site.

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

²Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

³Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

⁴Department of Botany, Govt. Degree Sci. & Com. College Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block VII, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi-75300, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author: drzafar10@hotmail.com