Ethnoveterinary uses of forage plants for domesticated ruminants in Malakand agency, Pakistan

Plant ethnoveterinary uses are evident in various studies around the world, but the ethnoveterinary practices of forage species are not widely reported. Traditional knowledge is rapidly disappearing because of urbanization and commercial activities. The purpose of this study was to document plant species used by the local communities in Malakand Agency, Pakistan for foraging and ethnoveterinary purposes. Twenty different localities in the study area were surveyed for documentation of forage species and related traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge used for livestock. Semistructured questionnaires and field walks were used to conduct 67 interviews with local farmers and herdsmen. A total of 91 forage species from 26 families were documented, as well as their ethnoveterinary applications. Poaceae and Fabaceae were dominant families with 45% and 15% of species respectively. Among the forage species documented, 62 were highly palatable, 26 were moderately palatable and 12 were less palatable. The region's major veterinary diseases are flu, ringworms, inflammations, low milk production, constipation, bloat, mastitis, pneumonia and wounds. The 62 forage species were reported for the first time for various veterinary uses. This study revealed that local communities commonly use a diverse range of forage species in conjunction with indigenous knowledge of ethnoveterinary uses. These forage species have the potential to overcome the recent fodder shortage. Such studies will be beneficial to the commercial production of such forage species.