Improved forage development innovations in Sidama highlands of Southern

Ethiopia

Tesfaye Shewage, Yoseph Mekasha, Birhanu Biazen, Azage Tegegne, Dirk Hoekstra, Solomon
Gizaw,Birhanu G/Medhin
Livestock and Irrigation Value Chain for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project, International
Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O.Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Inadequate year round feed supply is a major bottleneck hindering livestock development in Ethiopia. In
Sidama highlands of southern Ethiopia, although, natural pasture is the major source of feed for livestock,
its productivity and quality is very poor due to poor grazing land management. Moreover, the size of
grazing lands in this area has been declining over time due to increase in human population and the
corresponding expansion of arable farming. The declining size of the grazing land resulted not only
reduction in biomass production but also extinction of desirable natural herbaceous species because of
overgrazing. Thus, it is of utmost important to introduce and establish improved forages with high
biomass yield and quality under the small holder farming system. Objective of this study was to identify
opportunities for improved fodder development intervention, and to present the outcome of three-year
efforts of Livestock and Irrigation Value Chain for Ethiopian Smallholders (LIVES) project to enhance
improved forage development in Sidama highlands, southern Ethiopia. The study was conducted in 3
clustered districts (Arbegona, Bona Zuria and Bensa) of Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia where 6
peasant associations (PAs) were taken for improved forage development intervention. 7-12 households
were participated in each PAs of the aforementioned districts. The districts and PAs in the districts were
selected for the intervention purposively based on their potential to produce high value livestock
commodities. The project used commodity platforms, focus group discussion, and rapid assessment to
prioritize challenges and interventions before implementation. The major innovations introduced were
capacity development of extension staff and producers (using ToT approach), study tour to areas with
better experience, provision of planting materials and inputs, demonstration of improved production
technologies and techniques including introduction of supplementary irrigation to high value forage crops
(e.g. alfalfa-Medicago sativa). The result showed that skill based training improved the knowledge and
skill of extension staff from 15% to 94.1%.The innovations were adopted by 97% of the intervention
households (n=206), among which, about 50% established improved grasses (Desho- Pennisetum
pedicellatum & Elephant- Pennisetum pupureum) on about 500m2 -7500m2 plots of land/HH and
herbaceous legumes (e.g. Alfalfa) on about 200-600m 2 plots of land/HH. Besides, the frequency of
cutting of improved forage increased from 2 to 5-6 times per year under farmers’ management. The mean
biomass yield of Elephant and Desho grasses during the dry season when the forage was harvested only
once was 7.3 t DM/ ha and 7 t DM/ ha, respectively, while it was 15.08 t DM/ ha (3.77 t DM/ha per
cutting) and 47.6 t DM/ha for Elephant and Desho grasses, respectively, during the wet season. The mean
biomass yield of alfalfa was slightly higher for cool humid areas of Arbegona (1.7 t DM/ha) compared to
sub-humid areas of Bona zuria and Bensa (1.55 t DM/ha) districts. This study concluded that elephant
grass and desho grass are not only important to their high yield of biomass production, their
compatibility to the land use and agro-ecology of the study areas but also their high importance
for management of dairy wastes in peri-urban dairy production system. Although alfalfa is a
newly introduced forage crop in the Sidama highlands, this study concluded that there is a huge
potential to grow alfalfa through proper application of dry farmyard manure and supplementary
irrigation during dry season. Success of improved forage development adoption demonstrated in
the study areas was because of the innovative capacity development and knowledge management
approaches of LIVES project.

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Key words: Improved forage; innovations; productivity;