Previous approaches to improve soil and water management in the Ethiopian highlands have achieved marginal success. An integrated approach to rainwater management (RWM) has been piloted to address interrelated problems of land degradation, livestock feed shortage, and soil erosion, in an effort to improve the resilience of rural livelihoods. However, stakeholders' perceptions about the approach have not been documented. Using data from in-depth interviews, this study assesses stakeholders' knowledge, attitudes, skills and practices in the Diga, Jeldu and Fogera districts of Ethiopia. Our study finds gender differences in knowledge and application of integrated RWM strategies amongst farmers. Stakeholders interviewed appreciate fodder development because it directly addresses land degradation and livestock feed shortage, and provides extra benefits to the households. There are differences in successful RWM practices across the districts. Planners, researchers and policy makers engaged in innovation platforms have an increased understanding of the tools to engage multiple stakeholders in planning for RWM. However, inflexible extension approaches and other contextual issues limit wide-scale use of bottom-up approaches. We conclude that approaches to RWM that are holistic and engage diverse stakeholders foster the uptake of innovations. Awareness creation, collaboration, capacity development, incentives, monitoring, political will and favorable gender norms are vital to the process.

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The objective of this study was to determine the effect of supplementing increasing levels of dried tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) leaf on the nutrition and performance of sheep fed a basal diet of barley straw. The study had four treatments, which involved supplementation of dried tagasaste leaf at 100, 200, 300, and 400 g/day. Twenty-four yearling Menz sheep (weight 17 ± 0.83 kg) were assigned to one of the four treatments in a randomized complete block design. The experiment comprised a feeding trial lasting for 90 days, a digestibility trial, and carcass evaluation using all animals. Samples of the feed consumed, refused, and feces were analyzed for nutrients. Intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM) and nutrients increased linearly (P < 0.001) as tagasaste supplementation increased from 100 to 400 g/day. Similarly, average daily body weight gain increased linearly (P < 0.001) from 20 to 73 g/day, feed conversion efficiency from 0.04 to 0.10, and dressing percentage from 40 to 48%, as the supplementation increased from 100 to 400 g/day. Proportion of tagasaste leaf in the diet increased from 20 to 50%, while the ratio of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) to crude protein (CP) decreased from 7.9 to 5.3, as the level of supplementation increased. It was thus concluded that supplementation of dried tagasaste leaf up to 50% of the diet DM, resulting in a NDF:CP ratio of 5.3, produces no deleterious effects on the performance of sheep, and inclusion to this level can be applied for superior growth performance and carcass yield in sheep fed crop residue-based diets.

Code ideas-Faba bean in Ethiopia growers have a traditional practice of using weeds as forages -The traditional practice was confirmed to provide an added advantage over improved practices -Use of weeds as forages gave greater overall productivity than frequent weeding -Introducing forage oats as an intercrop with faba bean can further improve incomes

Africa RISING project has conducted action research on livestock feed and forages starting from 2012 to bridge gaps on feed availability and quality. The objectives of this paper are to share approaches on how Africa RISING project enabled smallholder farmers to intensify feed and forage resources; present research findings of selected cultivated forages, fodder trees and post-harvest feed and forage utilization innovations; and highlight key lessons evolving from the feed and forage action research and scaling interventions. The project established partnership with CGIAR and local partners, conducted participatory need assessment, prioritized researchable issues, identified and validated different forages and utilization innovations, and created development partnership to facilitate wider scaling. Training activities and multi-stakeholder platforms were used to enhance cross learning of project partners. The cultivated forages grown under farmers' fields and management condition provided high biomass yield of good nutritional quality. For instance, Avena sativa-Vicia villosa mixture, Lablab purpureus L., Vicia villosa-Pennisetum pedicellatum intercropping, Lupinus albus, Medicago sativa L. and Beta vulgaris L. yielded on average 15, 3.4, 5.5, 2.9, 15.3, and 20.2 t DM ha -1 , respectively. Animal response trials showed an increase in milk yield of 30% to 50% with supplementation of Avena sativa-Vicia villosa mixture and Beta vulgaris. Feed wastage was considerably reduced (over 30%) due to the use of feed troughs and storage sheds, with high economic incentives to invest on such innovations. Integrating and intensifying feed and This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.forage resources and post-harvest innovations at farm level remains a priority to improve livestock productivity and food security.