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Improving the Productivity of Degraded Pasture Land Through Legume Forages over Sowing

Received: 3 March 2017     Accepted: 13 March 2017     Published: 17 May 2017
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Abstract

The experiment was undertaken for one season in Northern Ethiopia, at Emba Alaje District, Ayba Peasant Association to evaluate forage yield of the natural pasture over sown with three adapted legume forages. The design was Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. The treatments were control, Vicia dayscarpa, Vicia sativa and alfalfa (Hairy peruvian). The size of experimental plots were 100 m2 (10 m x 10 m) each. Partial Budget Analysis, Dominance Analysis and Marginal Rate of Return were calculated to compare treatments economic benefits. Over sowing legume forages increased Dry Matter Yield significantly as compared with the control pasture land. The higher yield was recorded for pasture land over sown with Vicia sativa (3.96 t/ha) and Vicia dayscarpa (3.12 t/ha). The relative proportion of grass and legumes reached highest and significant by over sowing. However, pasture productivity of land over sown with Vicia sativa and Vicia dayscarpa were not significant for both grass and legumes. The species composition of treatments in the experimental site (Vicia sativa, Vicia dayscarpa and Hairy Peruvian) was 39.3, 33.3 and 7.3%, respectively. It is therefore concluded that over sowing degraded grazing lands with Vicia sativa improves biomass yield, and it is also economical as compared with other treatments. This implies that for every one $ addition cost of biomass yield production there is $ 0.44 (44%) return by applying Vicia sativa.

Published in International Journal of Science, Technology and Society (Volume 5, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11
Page(s) 33-36
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Botanical Composition, Dry Matter Yield, Natural Pasture and Vicia

References
[1] T. Alemu and G. Lemma, Botanical composition and productivity of natural pasture in the Arjo Awraja, Western Ethiopia. In: Proceedings of the Fourth National Livestock Improvement Conference Held at Addis Ababa, 13-15 Nov., 1991, Pp. 205-210.
[2] N. Tegene, G. Dinku and B. Mohammed, Assessment of potential of natural pasture and other feed resources in sweet potato production system of Shebedino District, Sidama Zone, SNNPRS, Ethiopia. International Journal of Livestock Production, 2015, 6: 8-91-98.
[3] M. Alemayehu, Forage production in Ethiopia a case study with implications for livestock production: Ethiopian Society of Animal Production Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, 2002.
[4] A. Tilahun, M. Solomon and R. Ralph, Identification of Livestock Feed Production in Ethiopian Highlands: Potential and Experiences of the African Highlands Initiative. Presented at the 19th EVA Annual conference, 8 June 2005, ECA, Addis Ababa, 2005.
[5] K. Daniel, Effect of development stages of at harvest, nitrogen application and moisture availability on the yield and nutritional value of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) Lucerne (Medicago sativa) pastures (Doctoral Dissertation). Available from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, 1990.
[6] T. Girmay, G. Girmay, G. Alem, G. Abrhaley, G. Yemane, and T. Hagos, Participatory Rural Appraisal Report: Alaje Woreda, Tigray Region, 2014.
[7] B. Froman, and S. Persson, An Illustrated Guide to the Grasses of Ethiopia. Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit. Assela, 1974.
[8] M. Upton, Farm Management in Africa: The Principle of Production and Planning. Oxford University Press, Great Britain, 1979, pp. 282-298.
[9] A. Tesfay, E. Awet, G., S. Wayu, T. Tesfay, and A. Baraki, Rehabilitation of degraded pasture land through application of urea and slurry: the case of Ayba pasture land, southern Tigray, Ethiopia, 2015, Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 27, Article #186. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd27/9/tesf27186.html
[10] SAS, Statistical Analysis Systems, Institute Inc., NC. U.S.A, 1998.
[11] J. N. Clatworthy, Effect of reinforcement of native grazing with Silver leaf desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum) on dry season performance of beef steers in Zimbabwe, 1984, Trop. Grassl. 18: 198-205.
[12] B. Walker, Effects of nitrogen fertilizer and forage legumes on Cenchrus ciliaris pasture in Western Tanzania East Afr. Agric. For. J. 38: 375-382, 1969.
[13] T. H. Stobbs, The effect of grazing management upon pasture productivity in Uganda. I. Stocking rate. Tropical Agric. (Trinidad), 1969, 46: 187-194.
[14] A. B. Lwoga, The potential of forage legumes in the exploitation of grazing resources in Tanzania. Paper presented at a symposium on the role of biology in the development and utilization of natural resources in Tanzania, Dare-Salaam, 1983.
[15] R. J. McIllroy, An introduction to tropical grassland husbandry. Oxford University Press, London, 1972, P. 140.
[16] H. L. Westover, and H. M. Tysdal, Alfalfa varieties in the United States, US Department of Agriculture. Farmers’ Bulletin no. 1731. Washington DC, 1945.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Tesfay Atsbha, Awet Estifanos, Temesgen Tesfay, Solomon Wayu, Adhanom Baraki. (2017). Improving the Productivity of Degraded Pasture Land Through Legume Forages over Sowing. International Journal of Science, Technology and Society, 5(3), 33-36. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11

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    ACS Style

    Tesfay Atsbha; Awet Estifanos; Temesgen Tesfay; Solomon Wayu; Adhanom Baraki. Improving the Productivity of Degraded Pasture Land Through Legume Forages over Sowing. Int. J. Sci. Technol. Soc. 2017, 5(3), 33-36. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11

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    AMA Style

    Tesfay Atsbha, Awet Estifanos, Temesgen Tesfay, Solomon Wayu, Adhanom Baraki. Improving the Productivity of Degraded Pasture Land Through Legume Forages over Sowing. Int J Sci Technol Soc. 2017;5(3):33-36. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11,
      author = {Tesfay Atsbha and Awet Estifanos and Temesgen Tesfay and Solomon Wayu and Adhanom Baraki},
      title = {Improving the Productivity of Degraded Pasture Land Through Legume Forages over Sowing},
      journal = {International Journal of Science, Technology and Society},
      volume = {5},
      number = {3},
      pages = {33-36},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijsts.20170503.11},
      abstract = {The experiment was undertaken for one season in Northern Ethiopia, at Emba Alaje District, Ayba Peasant Association to evaluate forage yield of the natural pasture over sown with three adapted legume forages. The design was Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. The treatments were control, Vicia dayscarpa, Vicia sativa and alfalfa (Hairy peruvian). The size of experimental plots were 100 m2 (10 m x 10 m) each. Partial Budget Analysis, Dominance Analysis and Marginal Rate of Return were calculated to compare treatments economic benefits. Over sowing legume forages increased Dry Matter Yield significantly as compared with the control pasture land. The higher yield was recorded for pasture land over sown with Vicia sativa (3.96 t/ha) and Vicia dayscarpa (3.12 t/ha). The relative proportion of grass and legumes reached highest and significant by over sowing. However, pasture productivity of land over sown with Vicia sativa and Vicia dayscarpa were not significant for both grass and legumes. The species composition of treatments in the experimental site (Vicia sativa, Vicia dayscarpa and Hairy Peruvian) was 39.3, 33.3 and 7.3%, respectively. It is therefore concluded that over sowing degraded grazing lands with Vicia sativa improves biomass yield, and it is also economical as compared with other treatments. This implies that for every one $ addition cost of biomass yield production there is $ 0.44 (44%) return by applying Vicia sativa.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Improving the Productivity of Degraded Pasture Land Through Legume Forages over Sowing
    AU  - Tesfay Atsbha
    AU  - Awet Estifanos
    AU  - Temesgen Tesfay
    AU  - Solomon Wayu
    AU  - Adhanom Baraki
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11
    T2  - International Journal of Science, Technology and Society
    JF  - International Journal of Science, Technology and Society
    JO  - International Journal of Science, Technology and Society
    SP  - 33
    EP  - 36
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7420
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsts.20170503.11
    AB  - The experiment was undertaken for one season in Northern Ethiopia, at Emba Alaje District, Ayba Peasant Association to evaluate forage yield of the natural pasture over sown with three adapted legume forages. The design was Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. The treatments were control, Vicia dayscarpa, Vicia sativa and alfalfa (Hairy peruvian). The size of experimental plots were 100 m2 (10 m x 10 m) each. Partial Budget Analysis, Dominance Analysis and Marginal Rate of Return were calculated to compare treatments economic benefits. Over sowing legume forages increased Dry Matter Yield significantly as compared with the control pasture land. The higher yield was recorded for pasture land over sown with Vicia sativa (3.96 t/ha) and Vicia dayscarpa (3.12 t/ha). The relative proportion of grass and legumes reached highest and significant by over sowing. However, pasture productivity of land over sown with Vicia sativa and Vicia dayscarpa were not significant for both grass and legumes. The species composition of treatments in the experimental site (Vicia sativa, Vicia dayscarpa and Hairy Peruvian) was 39.3, 33.3 and 7.3%, respectively. It is therefore concluded that over sowing degraded grazing lands with Vicia sativa improves biomass yield, and it is also economical as compared with other treatments. This implies that for every one $ addition cost of biomass yield production there is $ 0.44 (44%) return by applying Vicia sativa.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Tigrai Agricultural Research Institute, Alamata Agricultural Research Center, Alamata, Ethiopia

  • Tigrai Agricultural Research Institute, Mekele Agricultural Research Center, Mekele, Ethiopia

  • Tigrai Agricultural Research Institute, Alamata Agricultural Research Center, Alamata, Ethiopia

  • Tigrai Agricultural Research Institute, Alamata Agricultural Research Center, Alamata, Ethiopia

  • Tigrai Agricultural Research Institute, Alamata Agricultural Research Center, Alamata, Ethiopia

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