Participatory Evaluation and Field Demonstration of Forage Varieties in Ondere Kebele, Dhagahmadow District, Somali Region, Ethiopia

Background: Livestock productivity in agro-pastoral systems is often constrained by feed shortages, which limits animal growth, reproduction, and overall production. Developing and integrating improved forage crops is a key strategy to address this challenge and enhance sustainable livestock feed availability. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and demonstrate the performance of improved forage crops under rainfed conditions in agro-pastoralist areas, with a focus on their growth characteristics, biomass yield, and agro-pastoralists perceptions to facilitate adoption. Methods: The study was conducted in the Degahmadow district, Jarar zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia, using a participatory approach involving 25 community members, including women, under the PAPREG/PRG initiative. Agronomic practices, including land preparation, sowing, and forage management, were implemented following standard recommendations. Participatory variety evaluation and field demonstrations were conducted to assess species performance based on agropastoralist selection criteria. Results: The analysis of variance showed significant species differences in key growth parameters such as crop emergence, days to flowering, plant height, herbage yield, and days to first harvest. Sudan grass and Panicum maximum had similar emergence rates (3.44 and 3.37 days, respectively), while Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass) was significantly delayed by 4 days. Rhodes grass also had the longest time to flowering (53.9 days), whereas Panicum maximum (35.8 days) and Sudan grass (38.3 days) matured earlier. Fresh biomass yields ranged from 13 to 23 tons per hectare per harvest, with no significant yield difference between Sudan grass (7.56 tons per hectare) and Panicum maximum (7.43 tons per hectare). However, Rhodes grass recorded significantly lower dry matter yield. Sudan grass had the greatest plant height, though not significantly different from Panicum maximum, and both were significantly taller than Rhodes grass. The optimal harvesting date was significantly earlier for Panicum maximum (57 days) compared to Sudan grass (78 days) and Rhodes grass (74 days). Conclusion: Agro-pastoralists ranked Sudan grass highest due to its superior biomass yield, early maturity, ease of establishment, multiple harvest potential, and adaptability to environmental stresses, followed by Panicum maximum. The close alignment between agro-pastoralists preferences and scientific findings highlights the potential for integrating improved forage varieties into local livestock systems. This study underscores the importance of participatory approaches in forage development, promoting adoption and enhancing feed security in agro-pastoral communities.