Worldwide the consumption of chevon (goat meat) has increased largely due to its distinct nutritional attributes when compared to other red meats. In addition to being a good source of dietary protein for human beings, chevon comparatively has a lower total fat, saturated fatty acid and cholesterol content, which makes it a healthful product. Chevon’s health promoting chemical composition fulfils the expectations of consumers’ demand for healthful foods and thus explaining its growing popularity and increased demand. The increase in the popularity and demand of chevon is essential to contributing towards the increase in demand for animal-derived protein sources for human consumption, which is driven by an expansion in urban settlements, improving incomes, and the need for a better lifestyle. Despite chevon being established as lean red meat with low content of fat, cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, there are misconceptions regarding the perceived inferior quality of chevon compared to beef, pork or lamb among some consumers. This review seeks to provide evidence supporting the favorable nutritive characteristics of chevon and it being a healthful product that is poised to make a significant contribution to animal-derived foods for human consumption.

The Sub-Saharan region of southern Africa is characterized by high temperatures, low rainfall, and poor land-use management practices such as continuous cropping without replenishment of soil nutrients. The combination of these factors has resulted in nutrient depletion and land degradation. The current study aimed at investigating the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Rhizobium bacteria inoculation on soil chemical properties in field-grown forage legumes, namely, Mucuna pruriens (mucuna), Lablab purpureus (lablab) and Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), in the semi-arid region of the Eastern Cape Province (South Africa). Forage legumes were inoculated with the AMF species Paraglomus occulum and the Rhizobia bacteria species Bradyrhizobium strain and grown for 120 days. Soil samples were collected in the following sequence: prior to planting, before flowering and after harvesting the forage legumes in each of the two seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) and soil chemical properties were determined using standard procedures. The results showed that the addition of dual inoculation over time greatly improved soil chemical properties when compared to the control treatment. This was advocated by the significant (P ≤ 0.05) increase in soil pH, soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur and iron in soils. The concentration of cation exchange capacity was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in cowpea treated with Rhizobium as compared to other treatment combinations. The control treatment of mucuna forage greatly improved the concentrations of manganese, boron, copper, molybdenum, and zinc over other treatment combinations only before the flowering stage. However, the concentrations of micronutrients were significantly higher on the treatment combination of lablab and single inoculation of AMF after harvesting. Generally, dual inoculation with AMF and Rhizobia enhanced soil properties when compared to a single inoculation or untreated control.

Two provenances of Moringa oleifera Lam., Malawi and Mutoko, were evaluated to determine the effect of plant spacing and cutting interval on the leaf biomass yield for fodder production. A split-split plot experimental design was set up with provenance as the main plot factor, plant spacing as sub-plot factor and cutting interval as sub-sub plot factor. The provenances were tested at two plant spacings of 15 cm × 15 cm and 20 cm × 20 cm, and two cutting intervals of 60 days and 75 days. Results showed that 90 days after planting, at 20 cm × 20 cm spacing, Malawi provenance plants had a higher (P < 0.05) leaf dry matter yield than Mutoko plants. A cutting interval of 60 days had a higher (P < 0.05) leaf dry matter yield for the two provenances than a 75 day cutting interval. Both provenances can be recommended for agroforestry because their leaf biomass yields were not significantly different at all subsequent cutting intervals of 60 and 75 days.