Degraded land rehabilitation role of chomo grass (Brachiaria humidicola) and its socioeconomic importance; evidence from Western Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15243/jdmlm.2020.073.2155Keywords:
chomo grass, land rehabilitation, Western EthiopiaAbstract
In order to combat the problem of land degradation, a lot of efforts have been made since 1970s in Ethiopia. This study was conducted in Manasibu woreda of West Wollega zone to Degraded Land Rehabilitation role of chomo grass (Brachiaria humidicola) and it’s Socioeconomic Importance. Local farmers’ perception, major causes and management practice were also assessed. About 139 sample respondents were selected randomly from four purposively selected kebeles in the woreda. Interview schedule, focus group discussion, key informant interview and participatory observation were used to collect data from sample respondents. The result of the study indicates that local peoples are using chomo grass for various purposes. Particularly they use for forage, for sale, more importantly for environmental rehabilitation, and making of some home utensils among the other. They are selling both seed and grass and earn a good income. Chomo grass was their first and last choice. Accordingly, chomo grass was well introduced in the area. Thus the study concludes as chomo grass has curative values for communities’ number one problems; soil degradation. Accordingly, the efforts in expanding the grass in effective land management should be scaled up to other areas having a similar situation.References
Alemayehu, A. 2009. Impact of Terrace Development and Management on Soil Properties in Anjeni Area, West Gojam: MA Thesis. Addis Ababa: School of Graduate Study of Addis Ababa University.
Amaya-Hernandez, S. and Carmona-Munoz, I. 1988. Evaluation of forage grasses in the soil of intermittent flood in Jalapa, Tabasco, Mexico. In: Pizarro, E. A. (ed.) 1a. Reunion at RIEPTCAC, November 17-19, 1988, Veracruz, Mexico.INIFAP and CIAT, Cali, Colombia. p. 266-269.
Cochran, W.G. 1977. Sampling Techniques. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons
Dawit, O. 2014. Assessment Of Farmers‘ Adoption Of Land Rehabilitation Practices: The Case Of Manasibu District, West Wollega Zone, Oromiya Regional State, Ethiopia. MSC thesis submitted to school of Graduate studies of Adis Ababa University
Gaston, K.J. 1998. Biodiversity. In Sutherland, W.J. (Eds), Conservation Science and Action, Blackwell Synergy, Oxford, pp.1-19.
ICRA (International Center for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture, (1998), A Participatory Systems Analysis of the Termite Situation in West Wollega, Oromia, Ethiopia. Wageningen, The Netherlands: pp 1-152.
Kumble, V. 1996.. Brachiaria: Biology, Agronomy, and Improvement. CIAT.
ManasibuWoreda Office of Agriculture and Natural Resource office (2017); Unpublished Office Report, Mendi, Ethiopia
MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) (2005).Ecosystem and human well being: Synthesis. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
Rika I.K., Mendra, I.K., Gusti, M. and Oka Nurjaya, M.G. 1991. New forage species for coconut plantations in Bali. Shelton H.M. &Stur W.W. (ed.). Forages for plantation crops: proceedings of a workshop, Sanur Beach, Bali, Indonesia, 27-29 June 1990. ACIAR proceedings, Canberra, A.C.T. Australia. 32: 41-44.
Singh, R.J. 2009. Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement. Series Forage Crops Volume 5, Publisher: CRC Press (Taylor & Francis Group), Boca Raton, Florida
Tafera, M., Teketay, D., Hulten, H. and Yemshaw, Y. 2005. The role of enclosures in the recovery of woody vegetation in degraded dryland hillsides of central and northern Ethiopia. Journal of Arid Environments 60(2): 259-281.
Uitto, J.I. and Manshard, W. 1993. Sustainable environmental and resource management futures for Sub-Saharan Africa. GeoJournal 31(1): 105-6.
UNEP. 1992. World Atlas of Desertification. United Nations Environmental Program. London. 69 pp.
Wandewessen, G. 2009. Area closure as a Strategy of Biodiversity Conservation and Degraded Land Rehabilitation: The Cases of Gubo and Ninikotto, North Wello. MSc Thesis submitted to school og graduate studies of Addis Ababa University.
WCMC.1992. Global Biodiversity: A status of the earth.s living resources. World Conservation Monitoring Center. Chapman and Hall, London.
Wild, A. 1993. Soils and the Environment. Cambridge University Press.
Wilson, G.V., Jardine, P.M. and Luxmoore, R.J. 1988. Modeling the transport of inorganic ions through undisturbed soil columns from two contrasting watersheds. Soil Science Society of America Journal 52(5):1252-1259.
Downloads
Submitted
Accepted
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Submission of a manuscript implies: that the work described has not been published before (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, or thesis) that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that if and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Scientific Journal by Eko Handayanto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://ub.ac.id.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://ircmedmind.ub.ac.id/.