Now a day, due to climate change and deforestation, the density of Acacia species are decreasing in the pastoral areas. Therefore, the research was conducted with the objective to assess the existing management, utilization practices and density of Acacia species in Mio District in the year 2019. Five representative kebeles (the smallest administrative unit below District) were purposively selected, and from each kebeles, 15 representatives were purposively selected with the assumption that they had sufficient knowledge about the area to collect surveying data. The major livestock feed resources available in the study area were natural pasture, browse species, crop residues and hay. The purpose of keeping livestock in the study area varied based on the species of livestock kept. The primary purpose of keeping cattle and camel were for milk, while it was for meat and income generation in case of small ruminants. Shortage of feed was the first production constraint for cattle followed by shortage of grazing lands. Moreover, the major constraints for small ruminant were health problem followed by predators. Pods, twigs and flowers of Acacia Spp. were utilized by livestock as a source of feed. However, the leaves were the most available feed resources in the study area. Acacia species were grown on grazing land, crop land, in the house compounds or shelter belts between crop plots. Acacia tortilis is the highest in relative density, relative cover (43.3%) and important value (100%). In general, Acacia species pod could be used to improve animal performance through improving the nutritive value of low-quality feed resources. Conserving nutritionally important Acacia species like Acacia tortilis are paramount important for the environment and animal feed. Further study is suggested to assess the nutritive value of Acacia pods and leaves which are consumed by livestock but not considered here. پرونده مقاله

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of oat (Avena sativa; variety-CI-8237), vetch (Vicia villosa) and their mixtures under irrigation conditions in the Ethiopian highland. This mixed cropping is a mixture of legume and cereal, it was done to fulfills a variety of functions, including complementary use of growth factors, such as soil nutrients, light, and water; reduced pest and disease incidence, reduced soil erosion, more total biomass production, more yield stability, and more household food security. Treatments were included: sole oat (T1), sole vetch (T2), 85% oat + 15% vetch (T3), 70% oat + 30% vetch (T4), 55% oat + 45% vetch (T5) and 40% oat + 60% vetch (T6). Experimental plots were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications in Damot Gale District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region, Ethiopia. Data collected for emergence date, plant height, and number of leaves per tiller, total fresh yield, dry matter yield and chemical composition in two consecutive years (2018-19 and 2019-20). The greatest and shortest days to emergence with 19 and 13 days were recorded in 100% vetch and 100% oat, respectively. The highest Dry Matter (DM) yield was obtained from the mixture of 55% oat and 45% vetch (6.75t/ha). The highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was obtained in 55% oat and 45% vetch mixture. Similarly, this treatment had lower Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) (45.77%), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) (8.01%) and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL) (1.31 g per kg) concentrations and highest In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility (IVDMD) (73.14%). Overall, it is recommended that in the highlands of Ethiopia, smallholder farmers can use 55% oat and 45% vetch to increase the quantity and quality of fodder. پرونده مقاله

The study was conducted in Shinile district of eastern Ethiopia to evaluate soil carbon stock potentials under three indigenous rangeland management practices (communal grazing land, prescribed fire and grazing enclosure) and to address the current pastoralists knowledge on constraints and opportunities for increasing soil organic carbon in the rangelands. Soil samples at different soil depths (0-20 cm, 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm) from the study district were collected to estimate the below ground soil organic carbon. The soil attributes were analyzed of variance. Priority index was employed to study constraints and opportunities to use rangelands for carbon sequestration. In the study district, enclosure grazing land management had the highest (p<0.05) carbon sequestration potential as compared to the other practices. In addition, the soil organic carbon content decreased with increasing soil depth. The major opportunities to use the rangelands for carbon sequestration were availability of vast rangelands, and rotational grazing. However, there are also constraints, which includes knowledge and experience gap on rangeland resource use for carbon economy and climate variability. Therefore, appropriate land management systems are very important in improving soil organic carbon on rangelands to minimize effects of climate variability on food security in semi-arid areas. پرونده مقاله