Adnew W, Tsegay BA, Tassew A, Asmare B. 2018. Assessments of farmers′ perception and utilization status of Brachiaria grass in selected areas of Ethiopia. Biodiversitas 19: 955-966. The study was conducted to evaluate farmers′ perception and utilization status of Brachiaria grass in selected areas of Ethiopia. It was done between April and June 2017. The study employed a multistage sampling method based on the level of distribution of Brachiaria grass as push-pull technology and animal feeds. Respondent farmers were selected purposely based on their practice of Brachiaria grass production and use. A total of 280 household heads, 160 from Oromiya and 120 from Amhara regions, proportionally selected were interviewed. The average land holding per household was 1.79±1.73 hectares and average household size was 6.60±1.99 persons. Identified constraints of forage production were ranked as land shortage (1st), free grazing (2nd), lack and high cost of planting materials (3rd), poor extension service (4th), drought (5th), and lack of awareness (6th). Of the problems, the finding indicated that feed shortage during long dry season (77.0%) is a critical problem. From total respondents, 96.1% faced feed shortage for their livestock at least once a year. Major constraints to improve forage production were ranked as land shortage, unmanaged grazing, lack of grass planting materials, poor extension service and drought, orderly. All respondents (100%) from Oromiya and 52.1% of respondents from Amhara have got training about use of Brachiaria grass. Majority of the respondents (97.3%) believed that Brachiaria grass is much productive compared to other grasses. Overall, the study showed that training to farmers and adequate provision of extension services on the use of Brachiaria grass are necessary to exploit the potential of the grass in the study districts as well as the country at large.

Still food security has not been attained fully in many tropical African countries including Ethiopia. However, the issue of food security achievement has been able to realize due to various setbacks among which low productivity of crops and livestock take the lion share. Among the various constraints the parasitic weed Striga, and Stemborer pests are responsible for lower crop yields in the region. Regarding livestock feed, shortage in terms of quantity and quality are the major impediment to the livestock sector. To achieve food security, increasing crop yield and livestock production is vital in Ethiopia and other tropical countries. Crop yields can be enhanced through the control of weeds using biological systems to increase food crop yield apart from chemical inputs. In case of livestock, full production and reproduction potential of animals can be met through fulfilling nutritional requirements of livestock. The major livestock feed resources in Ethiopia are natural pasture and crop residues. Both feed resources; however, are poor in nutritional value and they are listed as low maintenance feed category. Therefore, it is vital to intensify integrated crop- livestock production systems for sustainable economy and environment. Introducing forage grasses in the crop production system has been practiced in the tropics as push pull technology. In Ethiopia, Brachiaria grass is an emerging forage for integrated agricultural production that has been getting considerable recognition as an option to overcome the pests in crop production in the tropics due to its high adaptive and yielding as well as climate smart forages. In the country, Brachiaria is recently introduced by different organization in different agro-ecology of the country mainly as push-pull integrated agricultural system and considering its fodder potential for the livestock feed. Therefore, this review paper aimed to looking for the available research knowledge in Ethiopia and somewhere else in the glob for better utilization of Brachiaria grass in the integrated agricultural system. All available information regarding the research and utilization of Brachiaria grass were reviewed in the published papers. The review reveal that Brachiaria has many advantages over other grass species in terms of adaptation to drought and low fertility soils, ability to sequester carbon; increase nitrogen use efficiency through biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) and arrest greenhouse gas emissions. The knowledge has been established in quantifying the multiple contributions of Brachiaria grass inclusion as push pull technology in different parts of the world (South America, Kenya, Rwanda). Limited report showed that cut-and-carry system is the utilization practice of brachiaria grass grown the push pull integration. The potential of improved Brachiaria grass in Ethiopia to address the challenge of livestock feed scarcity and other environmental managements; however, remain unexploited/limited which calls researchers to work on. The review concluded that B. cultivars could have a significant contribution on both animal and cereal production in the tropics but limited research and utilization in Ethiopia.

The study was conducted to evaluate the feed intake, digestibility, bodyweight change and carcass characteristics of Farta lambs fed Brachiaria (now: Urochloa) hybrid Mulato II and natural pasture hays in various proportions as a basal diet supplemented with a local concentrate mixture (CM). Twenty-five yearling male Farta lambs with a mean initial body weight of 19.6±0.29 kg (mean±s.e.) were used in feeding (90 days) and digestibility (7 days) trials. The lambs were randomly allocated to the following 5 dietary treatments on the basis of stratified body weight: 100% natural pasture hay (NPH) (T1); 75% NPH+25% Urochloa hybrid Mulato II hay (MH) (T2); 50% NPH+50% MH (T3); 25% NPH+75% MH (T4); and 100% MH (T5). A local concentrate mixture [300 g dry matter (DM)/hd/d] was fed to all animals. Crude protein (CP) concentration of the basal diet increased as proportion of MH in the ration increased (P<0.05). Intake of DM and nutrients, and nutrient digestibility coefficients increased significantly (P<0.05) as proportion of MH in the roughage component of the ration increased. Final body weight, average daily bodyweight gain, feed conversion efficiency and most carcass parameters measured were significantly (P<0.05) higher as proportion of MH increased from 0 to 100% in the basal diet. Based on the biological performance of the experimental lambs, performance of sheep in the region could be enhanced significantly by incorporating MH with native pasture hay and concentrate supplement in feeding rations. Economic assessments would reveal the optimal combinations of native pasture and MH for feeding to achieve particular outcomes. Other improved grass and legume species may fill the same role and should be investigated in differing environments.

One of the major limiting factors of livestock production in Ethiopia is the very low quantity and quality of livestock feeds supplied in the country. This calls for seeking forages that complement poor quality feeds in the country. Hence, this research project was accomplished to comparatively evaluate and find compatible forages among three types of grass. The target of this paper was to compare three types of grass agronomic performance and chemical composition under three different agro-ecologies and three harvesting dates (60, 90, and 120 days). Field experiments were carried out in Tach Gayint (low altitude), Fogera (mid-altitude, and Debre Tabor (high altitude) Districts in 2017/2018. The treatments were laid out in a factorial RCBD (randomized complete block design) with three replications. The treatments contain combinations of 3 altitudes and 3 harvesting dates. Agronomic, yield, and chemical composition data were collected from all treatments in all locations. The collected data were subjected to analysis of variance procedures with a P 0.05 significance test. Altitudes and harvesting dates showed significant effects on the agronomical performance and chemical composition of those 3 types of grass The highest plant height (PH) and dry matter yield (DMY) by Napier and the number of tillers per plant (NTPP) by Mulato II were recorded at all altitudes. Similarly, harvesting dates showed a significant difference (P 0.05) in DMY and CP for all grasses in all studied areas. The significant difference in DMY was increasing as the harvesting date increased, but CP was contrariwise. Although all Napier grass recorded the highest biomass yield in all studied areas and showed high potential as an alternative livestock feed in Ethiopia, the highest crude protein value and the least value of NDF and ADF (best forage quality parameters) were recorded by Mulato II. Thus, the results of this study revealed that Brachiaria hybrid cv. Mulato II has great potential to fulfil the demands for quality feeds for livestock production, especially at low altitudes However, the current result alone might not lead to a final valid conclusion, hence it is recommended to follow up with a further study about feed value experimental using suitable animals.