Abstract
This study aimed to assess the available livestock feed resources in the Lalo kile district of Kellem Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia, in terms of species biomass composition and dry matter yield of dominant forage species. The district was stratified into two agro-ecologies: mid-altitude areas and low-altitude areas. The effects of grazing intensity on dry matter yields and biomass composition were analyzed using a randomized complete block design replicated three times having two blocks differed by two agro-ecologies (three mid-altitude kebeles and three low-altitude kebeles). The present study used seventy-two pasture samples and 20 × 20 m forage trees collected randomly from the two agro-ecologies of the study area. The General Linear Model of the SAS 19.0 version was used to compare the effects of the agro-ecology and species on dry matter yield and biomass composition. The result of the study indicated that the average dry matter yield for grasses, legumes, and other herbaceous forages was 1.156 t/ha, 0.242 t/ha, and 0.182 t/ha, with an overall 1.58 t/ha in the study district, respectively. About 73.13% of grasses, 15.32% of legumes, and 11.55% of other herbaceous were the species biomass composition in the study area. The midland agroecology had the average biomass fodder yields 7.98-19.78 kg/tree and 1.06-2.41 kg/shrub while lowland agroecology had 9.87-178.06 kg/tree and 1.34-3.87 kg/shrub. There was an estimate of 74.36-100 kg/ha fodder shrubs and 500-800 kg/ha fodder trees on cultivated and uncultivated land in the study area. The herbage yield of natural pasture is 1.733 t DMha(-1) in the mid and 1.427 t DMha(-1) in the low altitudes of the study area, with a mean herbage yield of 1.58 t DMha(-1) during vegetation cover. The grazing capacity of the study area was 0.23 TLU/ha/year in the mid and 0.19 TLU/ha/year in the low altitudes of the study area, with a mean value of 0.21 TLU ha/year. The presence of limited grazing land in the study area led to overgrazing, which in turn resulted occurrence of land degradation associated with poor biomass yield, low quality and variable supply of feeds between the season. Therefore, this study suggests setting up land-use regulation policy to allocate separate land for feed production and commonly use for livestock feeding to improve livestock productivity and contribute to food security and poverty alleviation of small holder farmers in the study area.