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

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

University of Botswana (University of Botswana) - Botswana

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

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

2017

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

Sí

1.4 Declaración de la sostenibilidad de la Tecnología descrita

¿La Tecnología aquí descrita resulta problemática en relación a la degradación de la tierra, de tal forma que no puede considerársela una tecnología sostenible para el manejo de la tierra?

No

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Riaan Dames Grazing involves grazing half the available area for a full year, which concentrates livestock density enabling sufficient grazing pressure to maintain the grassland in an immature, high-quality state, while resting the other half for a full year, which allows optimal recovery of plants from the previous full years grazing. The technology allows simplicity and requires less fencing infrastructure than more complex grazing systems, thereby reducing costs and increasing profits without compromising sustainability or ecological function. The technology can also be used under a planned grazing strategy in pastoral-wildlife grazing systems to create heterogeneity for wildlife and livestock.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

The Riaan Dames Grazing Strategy, otherwise known as Split-Ranch Grazing (SRG), was developed by Riaan Dames in the North West province, South Africa, while working for the Department of Agriculture. It is a fundamentally-different technology to grazing management in comparison with popular rotational grazing management systems in many western countries and contains several conceptual advances over rotational grazing systems. One key difference is that SRG provides a full-year uninterrupted recovery period for rangeland after grazing which enables grasses to maximize nutrient recovery over all the main pulses of nutrient mineralization (when microbes break down organic matter in the soil and release nutrients for plant uptake - mineralization occurs in pulses associated with rainfall events) in the early wet season (most nutrient mineralization occurs in the early wet season) and to maximize root growth and associated nutrient storage over the late wet season and early dry season (most root growth occurs in the late wet season/early dry season when plants translocate nutrients from above ground components to below ground components). Optimal recovery periods should ideally, therefore, encompass the full wet season and the early dry season. This is in contrast to rotational grazing systems where recovery and grazing periods are apportioned across the wet season and early dry season, with resting periods likely not falling in key periods of nutrient uptake and root growth. A major problem with having both grazing and recovery periods in the same season is that grassland is able to mature during recovery periods, greatly reducing forage quality and grass growth rates, thereby likely negatively impacting animal production. Another major problem is that complex rotational grazing strategies invest much in a complex and expensive fencing infrastructure. The solution to these problems is to introduce a fundamentally-different strategy to rotational grazing where some paddocks are grazed the whole year to prevent grassland maturation and other paddocks are rested the whole year to optimize recovery. In addition, paddocks should be as few in number and as large in size as is possible to maximize livestock access to functional resource heterogeneity (different types of resources needed by herbivores at different times and for various purposes, which are distributed across landscapes), thereby improving adaptive foraging options for livestock (have greater ability to move across landscapes to reach needed resource types), while also reducing costs of fencing infrastructure establishment and maintenance. Livestock are maintained in the paddocks planned for grazing until the mid-dry season to ensure that grasses in the rested paddocks have completed root growth and ceased all growth (fully rested and recovered). A full years rest allows maximum uptake of nutrients and maximum storage of these nutrients in deep, strong root systems and crowns, and ensures sustainability. Thus when these grasses are grazed in the next season they have not only efficient root uptake of moisture and nutrients from the soil but also can re-allocate nutrients stored in roots to leaf production after each grazing event, resulting in a productive supply of high-quality fresh leaf to livestock over the growing season. Movement of livestock into the year-long rested paddocks halfway through the dry season ensures that they have a large reserve of forage for the dry season. Concentration of livestock on half the available area (half the paddocks are rested and the other half grazed) ensures sufficient grazing pressure to maintain grassland in an immature, high-quality and rapidly-growing state for maximizing forage quality, leaf production and livestock production, which is further enhanced by greater adaptive foraging options in large paddocks. The technology was started in North West province South Africa, and is now being taken up in Botswana and Namibia. A model example is Tiisa Kalahari Ranch in the Ghanzi region of Botswana, run by Mr Kevin Grant. The ranch has been partitioned into several four-paddock cells, each with their own cattle herd. Cattle graze two paddocks while the other two are rested for a full year. Cattle enter the rested paddocks in the mid dry season (July) once forage is depleted in the two grazed paddocks, which have developed a large reserve of forage to sustain the livestock until the rains arrive. This technology (SRG) has been employed at Tiisa for almost six years. The ranch was in a degraded state at the start of the technology owing to decades of poor grazing management by previous owners. Indications are that the rangeland has been steadily recovering with increases in abundance of high-quality grasses. Monitoring programs are being established to monitor the trends in cover of the various grass species over time.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

2.4 Videos de la Tecnología

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

2.6 Fecha de la implementación

Si no se conoce el año preciso, indique la fecha aproximada:

• hace menos de 10 años (recientemente)

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

• Through interaction with Riaan Dames

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

• mejorar la producción
• reducir, prevenir, restaurar la degradación del suelo
• conservar el ecosistema
• proteger una cuenca hidrográfica/ áreas corriente abajo – en combinación con otras Tecnologías
• preservar/ mejorar biodiversidad
• crear impacto económico benéfico

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

3.3 Información adicional sobre el uso de tierras

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

• de secano

Comentarios:

Mainly rainfed but some irrigation of improved pasture for dry season forage would be fine

Número de temporadas de cultivo por año:

• 1

Especifique:

Mostly one growing season but can be in a bimodal rainfall region

Densidad del ganado (si fuese relevante):

At conservative stocking rates to ensure that animals are able to remain in the planned grazed paddocks until the mid dry season. Stocking rate will depend upon the local rainfall and soils and associated grass production. 10-15ha/ LSU in semi-arid regions

3.4 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• pastoralismo y manejo de tierras de pastoreo

3.5 Difusión de la Tecnología

Especifique la difusión de la Tecnología:

• distribuida parejamente sobre un área

Si la tecnología se halla difundida homogéneamente en un área, indique el área aproximada que cubre:

• 10-100 km2

Comentarios:

Not restricted to any size of land - any size ranch

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

Comentarios:

It involves grazing management. Managing stocking rate and the time spent grazing or resting a paddock

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Preventing undesirable changes in grass cover and composition

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:

• prevenir la degradación del suelo
• restaurar/ rehabilitar tierra severamente degradada

Comentarios:

The key goals are to improve grass composition and cover, reduce soil erosion and to improve livestock production

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Especificaciones técnicas/ explicaciones del dibujo técnico

Riaan Dames Grazing Strategy or Split-ranch grazing can be implemented as simply as dividing the ranch into two paddocks with livestock spending alternate years in each paddock (A) or the ranch can be divided up into several cells according to the ranchers needs, such as having to separate breeding herds, bull herds and weaners (B). In scenario A it is important to ensure good water distribution in each paddock to ensure livestock have access to the whole paddock. This simple scenario (A) is ideal for rural development schemes owing to minimal infrastructure costs and is easy for rural communities to implement. Another advantage is that it gives livestock much greater adaptive foraging options with such large paddocks. In scenario B a central water point provides a convenient way of changing the livestock between paddocks. The gates can be left open between diagonal paddocks to allow livestock freedom of access to either of the diagonal paddocks (greater freedom of adaptive foraging) or they can be actively moved between diagonals during the grazing year according to the ranchers decisions. If paddocks are extremely large then other water points should be provided across the paddocks to allow livestock even access to all parts of the paddock.

4.4 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento
1.	Building fences	Estructurales	At the start
2.	Digging Boreholes	Estructurales	At the start
3.	Setting up water reticulation and drinking troughs	Estructurales	At the start
4.	Buildling animal loading facilities	Estructurales	At the start
5.	Handling of livestock	Manejo	throughout the year

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	for building fences and animal loading facilities	person days				100,0
Mano de obra	digging boreholes and setting water reticulation and drinking troughs	person days				100,0
Mano de obra	animal handling	person days				100,0
Mano de obra	etc
Equipo	vehicles	machine hour				100,0
Equipo	pumps	pieces				100,0
Equipo	drinking droughs	pieces				100,0
Equipo	machines for digging boreholes	machine hour				100,0
Equipo	machines for building animal loading facilities	machine hour				100,0
Equipo	etc
Material de construcción	poles for fences	pieces				100,0
Material de construcción	wire mesh for fencens	meters				100,0
Material de construcción	cement for boreholes and loading faclities	kgs				100,0
Material de construcción	water pipes	pieces				100,0
Material de construcción	etc

4.6 Actividades de establecimiento/ recurrentes

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento/ frequencia
1.	Maintenance of fences	Estructurales	Throughout
2.	Maintenance of water pipes and pumps	Estructurales	Throughout
3.	Maintenance of vehicles	Estructurales	Throughout
4.	Animal handling	Manejo	Throughout
5.	Supplementary feeding (if needed)	Manejo	dry season

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
Material para plantas	supplementary feed	bale	1,0	9,0	9,0	100,0
Indique los costos totales para mantenecer la Tecnología					9,0

Comentarios:

Bales of hay cost 7-9 USD in Botswana depending on availability

4.8 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Fencing and infrastructure have been shown to be major factors increasing establishment and maintenance costs and reducing profits. Thus this technology aims to reduce these costs by having fewer larger paddocks, which also has benefits for the animals. Another major cost is that of supplementary feeding, especially if forage is depleted during the dry season. This technology aims to ensure that a reserve of forage is created for the dry season so that expensive supplementary feeding is not needed during the dry season, and aims to improve the quality of forage during the wet season so that supplementary feeding is not needed for fertility improvement (conception rates of females).

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

Indique si la Tecnología se aplica específicamente en:

• no relevante

Comentarios y especificaciones adicionales sobre topografía :

Any situation is appropriate

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. :

The ranch has deep Kalahari sands in some sections and shallow rocky soils on calcrete in other sections. Nevertheless the technology is appropriate for any soil type

5.4 Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

¿La salinidad del agua es un problema?

No

¿Se está llevando a cabo la inundación del área? :

No

5.5 Biodiversidad

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

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

The technology can be applied under commercial ranching situations using fenced paddocks to control the spatial and temporal distribution of livestock or it can be applied by semi-nomadic pastoralists using planned herding to control the spatial and temporal distribution of livestock.

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:

• individual, con título

Derechos de uso de tierra:

• individual

Derechos de uso de agua:

• individual

5.9 Acceso a servicios e infraestructura

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Biodiversidad: vegetación, animales

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)?

Comentarios:

This technology aims to reduce infrastructure and maintenance costs by reducing the amount of fencing
It also aims to reduce reliance on supplementary feeding

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

• 1-10%

Si tiene la información disponible, cuantifique (número de hogares y/o área cubierta):

In Ghanzi region of Botswana probably about five ranchers have adopted the technology

De todos quienes adoptaron la Tecnología, ¿cuántos lo hicieron espontáneamente, es decir, sin recibir incentivos/ pagos materiales?

• 90-100%

Comentarios:

They have adopted the technology because of seeing the results of those using the technology and from farmers day talks

6.6 Adaptación

¿La tecnología fue modificada recientemente para adaptarse a las condiciones cambiantes?

No

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra
Management complexity is reduced - fewer paddocks and less frequent movement between paddocks
Establishment and maintenance costs are lower than complex rotational grazing systems owing to less fencing required. Livestock production increased relative to costs
Need for supplementary feed and licks reduced owing to livestock having greater adaptive foraging options
Rangeland condition improved
Rangeland condition improved - better grass cover and greater abundance of high-quality perennial grasses

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave
Conceptually the most robust grazing management technology, Extremely long recovery periods promotes sustainability
Low establishment and maintenance costs relative to production
Concentration of livestock on half the available area enables sufficient grazing pressure to prevent grassland maturation and loss of forage quality
Development of a large reserve of forage for the dry season through season long resting promotes stability and reduces needs for supplementary feeding (increased profits)
Very large paddocks combined with minimal forced movement of livestock promotes adaptive foraging options for livestock thereby reducing need for supplementary feeding and licks (increased profits)

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

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Less intensive management increases predation events on livestock	Herding of livestock

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Potential over/under use of certain habitat type. Less control of timing and intensity of grazing distribution could result in damage to sensitive habitat types	Monitoring by the rancher of impacts on vegetation and use of water point reticulation/ lick placement/herding to move animals to underutilized areas

7.1 Métodos/ fuentes de información

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Optimal grazing management strategies: Evaluating key concepts Fynn, R.W.S., Kirkman, K.P. and Dames, R. 2017. African Journal of Range and Forage Science 34 (2): 87-98

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

Taylor and Francis Publishers

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

Towards optimal rangeland management. Fynn, R.W.S. 2015. Farmers Weekly 18: 56-59

¿Dónde se halla disponible? ¿Costo?

Farmers weekly magazine

7.3 Vínculos a la información relevante disponible en línea

Título/ descripción:

Grazing Strategy of Riaan Dames

URL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lOAr1RT69M