Participatory Approach to Common Use Grazing Management in Dry Area Developing Countries

Key points 1. Range restoration technology is available but useless when not followed by management. 2. Institutional mechanisms for grazing management are needed for communal range. 3. Community participatory approaches help pastoralists better manage rangeland grazing

Livestock Production and Economic Implications from Augmenting Degraded Rangeland with \u3ci\u3eAtriplex halimus\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eSalsola vermiculata\u3c/i\u3e in Northwest Syria

Three stocking rates (low: one sheep 2.25 ha-1, medium: one sheep 1.5 ha-1 year-1 and high: one sheep 0.75 ha-1 year-1) were studied for 7 seasons (1990/91-1996/97) on native range and on pasture over sown with fodder shrubs at Maragha, northwest Syria. There were 8 Awassi sheep in each stocking rate treatment, and the treatments were replicated 3 times in fenced paddocks. Milk yield, lamb production, live weight and supplementary feeding of the sheep were monitored. The results showed significantly higher forage availability on the range over-sown with fodder shrubs by 82% and 41% in the medium and high rainfall seasons, respectively and by 142% and 379% in the average and low rainfall seasons, compared with the native pasture. The total energy used in the supplementary feed was greater under the native pasture than that in the shrub-sown pasture in 5 out of 7 seasons, while crude protein consumption was greater in the native pasture than on the shrub-sown pasture in all 7 seasons. Milk production and lamb body mass were higher on shrub-sown pasture than those in native pasture in 4 and 6 out the 7 seasons, respectively. Benefits obtained from reduced feed costs, extra milk and lamb sales were higher on shrub-sown pasture than those in the native pasture in 5 out of the 7 seasons. Total benefits measured over the entire study period were highest under the high stocking rate, reaching about 77 US $ ha-1. We concluded that shrub plantation in west Asia could safely be utilized at stocking rate of one sheep 0.75 ha-1 year-1 for the benefits of the pasture and users