1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación de la Tecnología

Nombre del proyecto que financió la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Book project: where the land is greener - Case Studies and Analysis of Soil and Water Conservation Initiatives Worldwide (where the land is greener)

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - Italia

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ethiopia (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) - Etiopía

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

¿Cuándo se compilaron los datos (en el campo)?

01/07/2003

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT:

Sí

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Rehabilitation of communal grazing lands, through planting of improved grass and fodder trees and land subdivision, to improve fodder and consequently livestock production.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

This case study focuses on the highly populated, humid highland regions of Ethiopia that experience serious shortages of pasture. Due to rapid population growth, communal grazing areas are increasingly being converted into cropland. This has led to enormous pressure on the little remaining grazing land, through overstocking of dairy cows and oxen, and thus overgrazing, resulting in considerably decreased productivity.
Improved grazing land management is vital to increase food security and alleviate poverty, as well as to bring environmental rewards. To address these problems, the national SWC programme in Ethiopia initiated a grazing land management project over a decade ago. Implementation of the technology includes the initial delineating of the grazing land, and then fencing to exclude open access. This is followed by land preparation, application of compost (and, if necessary, inorganic fertilizers) to improve soil fertility, then planting of improved local and exotic fodder species, including multipurpose shrubs/trees such as Leucaena sp. and Sesbania sp. and the local desho grass (Pennisetum sp.). Desho has a high nutritive value and regular cuts are ensured. It is planted by splits, which have high survival rates and establish better than grasses which are seeded. Other grass seeds, as well as legumes, including alfalfa (lucerne: Medicago sativa) and clovers in some cases, are mixed with fodder tree seeds and then broadcast.
Maintenance activities such as weeding, manuring and replanting ensure proper establishment and persistence. Fodder is cut and carried to stall-fed livestock. Once a year, grass is cut for hay, which is stored to feed animals during the dry season. Experience shows that such grazing land is best managed when individually owned and used. In the study area, the community has distributed small plots (<0.5 ha) of communal grazing land to individual users to develop, manage and use.
The overall purpose of the intervention is to improve the productivity of grazing land and control land degradation through the introduction of productive techniques and improved fodder species, which consequently improve livestock production. Commercialisation of animals and marketing of their products increases the income of farmers. The government provides technical assistance, close follow-up, and some inputs for initial establishment. Land users are trained in compost/ manure application, planting of seeds, splits and seedlings, and general maintenance.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde la Tecnología fue aplicada y que se hallan comprendidos por esta evaluación

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• mediante proyectos/ intervenciones externas

3.1 Propósito(s) principal(es) de la Tecnología MST

• reducir, prevenir, restaurar la degradación del suelo
• conservar el ecosistema

3.2 Tipo(s) actuales de uso de la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Population growth has resulted in a substantial reduction in land holdings (<0.5 ha per family) and this in turn has led inevitably to encroachment onto communal grazing lands for cultivation. Livestock numbers on the other hand have remained unchanged, and this has led to overstocking of the few areas left. Livestock production, which accounts for 40% of the average household income, is thus reduced and farmers’ income declines correspondingly.

Si el uso de la tierra ha cambiado debido a la implementación de la Tecnología, indique el uso de la tierra antes de la implementación de la Tecnología.

Grazing land: Ge: Extensive grazing land

3.3 Información adicional sobre el uso de tierras

Provisión de agua para la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología:

• de secano

Número de temporadas de cultivo por año:

• 1

Especifique:

Longest growing period in days: 210 Longest growing period from month to month: March - September

3.4 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• veda de zona (detener uso, apoyar la restauración)
• cobertura de suelo/ vegetal mejorada
• variedades vegetales/ razas animales mejoradas

3.5 Difusión de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Total area covered by the SLM Technology is 20 km2.

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main measures: agronomic measures, vegetative measures, management measures

Type of agronomic measures: manure / compost / residues

Type of vegetative measures: scattered / dispersed

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion, Wg: gully erosion / gullying, Cn: fertility decline and reduced organic matter content, Bc: reduction of vegetation cover, Bs: quality and species composition /diversity decline

3.8 Prevención, reducción o restauración de la degradación del suelo

Especifique la meta de la Tecnología con relación a la degradación de la tierra:

• reducir la degradación del suelo

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Especificaciones técnicas/ explicaciones del dibujo técnico

Splits of desho grass (Pennisetum pedecillatum) are plantet in lines, using a hand hoe, after good seedbed preparation. Spacing between grass splits is 10 x 10 cm. The white line is a boundary between two households' plots (width of plot: 15-20 m). Trees are planted at rirregular spacing (around 5 m apart), layout is not specified.

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: high

Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate

Main technical functions: improvement of ground cover, control of dispersed runoff, increase in soil fertility

Secondary technical functions: increase of infiltration, improvement of soil structure, control of concentrated runoff

Manure / compost / residues
Material/ species: animal manure, leaf litter, wood ash, soil

Scattered / dispersed
Vegetative material: T : trees / shrubs, G : grass

Trees/ shrubs species: Leucaena sp., Sesbania sp.

Grass species: Desho grass (Pennisetumsp.), alfalfa (lucerne: Medicago sativa)

Other type of management: change of intensity level

4.4 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento
1.	Delineation of the area to be conserved and establishment of a fence	Vegetativas	before the onset of rain
2.	Subdivision of communal land into individual plots of 0.3–0.5 ha.	Vegetativas
3.	Planting material preparation in nurseries: grass splits (desho)	Vegetativas
4.	Good seedbed preparation	Vegetativas	(at the onset of the rains).
5.	Planting of grass splits and tree/shrub species in lines; sowing of grass	Vegetativas	(early in the rainy season).
6.	Weeding.	Vegetativas

4.5 Costos e insumos necesarios para el establecimiento

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Mano de obra	Labour	ha	1,0	320,0	320,0	100,0
Equipo	Animal traction	ha	1,0	17,0	17,0	100,0
Equipo	Tools	ha	1,0	5,0	5,0	50,0
Material para plantas	Seedlings	ha	1,0	5,0	5,0
Material para plantas	Grass splits (tillers)	ha	1,0	450,0	450,0	100,0
Fertilizantes y biocidas	Fertilizer	ha	1,0	60,0	60,0	100,0
Fertilizantes y biocidas	Compost/manure	ha	1,0	140,0	140,0	100,0
Material de construcción	Deadwood for fencing	ha	1,0	55,0	55,0	100,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología					1052,0

Comentarios:

Duration of establishment phase: 12 month(s)

4.6 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento/ frequencia
1.	Compost/manure preparation. Material used includes animal manure,	Agronómicas	/ initial establishment
2.	Compost application	Agronómicas	/ one month after planting, initial establishment
3.	Cut-and-carry, to stall-fed animals, begins when fodder is ready.	Vegetativas	(after 2–3 months growth) /2 -4 times
4.	A final cut for hay is taken early in the dry season when the grass has matured well.	Vegetativas	(end of October) /
5.	Weeding	Vegetativas	/each year.
6.	Compost/manure application, mixed with soil, during seedbed preparation (only where plants have died and need replacement and fertilisation).	Vegetativas
7.	Enrichment planting and gap filling	Vegetativas	after a year / repeated each year.

4.7 Costos e insumos necesarios para actividades de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (por año)

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Mano de obra	Labour	ha	1,0	35,0	35,0	100,0
Equipo	Tools	ha	1,0	4,0	4,0	100,0
Material para plantas	Seeds	ha	1,0	30,0	30,0	100,0
Material para plantas	Seedlings	ha	1,0	2,0	2,0	100,0
Fertilizantes y biocidas	Fertilizer	ha	1,0	15,0	15,0	100,0
Fertilizantes y biocidas	Compost/manure	ha	1,0	35,0	35,0	100,0
Material de construcción	Deadwood for fencing	ha	1,0	5,0	5,0	100,0
Indique los costos totales para mantenecer la Tecnología					126,0

Comentarios:

Seedlings are given by the government for initial establishment. For further extension of area and replanting, the
land users set up their own nurseries. After 2-3 years maintenance costs decrease substantially as the grass cover closes up and maintenance activities such as replanting/enrichment planting and compost application are reduced or cease. The local daily wage is about US$ 0.70 a day, but varies depending on the intensity of the work. In this calculation the standard rate has been applied.
Farmers usually cannot afford fertilizers. Milk production compensates for some of the high investment costs (previously, production was low).

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

Comentarios y especificaciones adicionales sobre topografía :

Landforms: Also hill slopes (ranked 2) and foot slopes (ranked 3)
Slopes on average: Also hilly (ranked 2) and rolling (ranked 3)

5.3 Suelos

Si se halla disponible, adjunte una descripción completa de los suelos o especifique la información disponible, por ej., tipo de suelo, pH/ acidez de suelo, capacidad de intercambio catiónico, nitrógeno, salinidad, etc. :

Soil fertility: Medium (ranked 2) and low (ranked 3)
Soil drainage/infiltration: Good

5.6 Las características de los usuarios de la tierra que aplican la Tecnología

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

Off-farm income specification: source of off-farm income includes petty trade and weaving

5.7 Área promedio de la tierra que pertenece a o es arrendada por usuarios de tierra que aplican la Tecnología

5.8 Tenencia de tierra, uso de tierra y derechos de uso de agua

Tenencia de tierra:

• estado

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• acceso abierto (no organizado)
• individual

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Ingreso y costos

Otros impactos socioeconómicos

Impactos socioculturales

Impactos ecológicos

Suelo

Otros impactos ecológicos

6.2 Impactos fuera del sitio demostrados por la Tecnología

6.4 Análisis costo-beneficio

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de establecimiento (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

50 land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

Comments on acceptance with external material support: 50 households who accepted the technology in the initial phase, did so with incentives. They were provided with planting materials (seeds, seedlings, grass splits) and hand tools.

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: The rate of spontaneous adoption is very high. At present over 500 households have taken up the technology and the total area covered is about 20 km2.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra
Increased national income due to export of animals and their products.

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
Availability of fodder (grass, hay, shrubs) in sufficient quantities, and all year round How can they be sustained / enhanced? Increase the area under such development.
Reduction in soil loss and land degradation How can they be sustained / enhanced? Maintain adequate cover by planting more grass.
Introduction of high yielding species as well as increase in land productivity and livestock production How can they be sustained / enhanced? ntroduce bigger variability of quality species and improve maintenance activities such as weeding and cultivation.
Improved diet: livestock by-products such as milk, butter and cheese are essential food items required by the households How can they be sustained / enhanced? Keep on increasing/improving quantity/quality of livestock feed.
Increased income through commercialisation and marketing of animals and their by-products. Meets financial needs for paying taxes, school fees, clothes etc.
Rehabilitation of communal grazing lands is both a technical and social challenge. Here is a promising example from Ethiopia that is spreading quickly. The key is subdivision of land into individual plots where cut-and-carry of grass and stall-feeding of livestock is practiced. This is only a possible option, however, where rainfall is favourable. land use rights: individual for cropland, open access (unorganised/communally used) for grazing land, except for the case study area where the rights to rehabilitated grazing land are given to individuals

6.8 Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos de la Tecnología y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
At the initial stage of establishment it is very labour intensive	Use of improved land preparation methods such as oxen ploughing.
Substantial cash for inputs, particularly seedlings, is required	Produce seedlings of improved species and making compost in backyards.
Needs high fertilizer application	Focus more on organic fertilizers.
High pressure on remaining grazing areas	Keep animals in stall (stable) or park, at least part of the day and during the night, and introduce cut-and-carry more widely.

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Adane Dinku, Chencha Wereda, Natural Resources Management Annual Report,. 2001 and 2002.