Cenchrus pedicellatus, previously Pennisetum pedicellatum, known simply as desho or as desho grass, is an indigenous grass of Ethiopia of the monocot angiosperm plant family Poaceae. It is also known as annual kyasuwa grass in Nigeria, bare in Mauritania, and deenanath grass in India. It grows in its native geographic location, naturally spreading across the escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands.Smith, G. (2010). Ethiopia: local solutions to a global problem. Retrieved from http://www.new-ag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=1784 . Widely available in this location, it is ideal for livestock feed and can be sustainably cultivated on small plots of land.Smith, G. (2010). Ethiopia: local solutions to a global problem. Retrieved from http://www.new-ag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=1784 . Thus desho is becoming increasingly utilized, along with various soil and water conservation techniques, as a local method of improving grazing land management and combating a growing productivity problem of the local region.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.IPMS Ethiopia. (2010). Improved productivity & market success of Ethiopian farmers. Retrieved from http://www.ipms-ethiopia.org/content/files/Documents/workshops-Meetings/Agri-business_Development_Process/Report%20on%20IPMS-CIAT%20Agri-business%20Development%20Process.pdf (pp. 1-27).
Description
Desho is a herbaceous perennial grass which has a massive root system that anchors to the soil.SLM Ethiopia. SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Desho grass soil bund]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth41. It has a high biomass producing capacity and grows upright with the potential of reaching 90 cm to 120 cm in height depending on soil fertility.Shiferaw, A., Puskur, R., Tegegne, A., & Hoekstra, D. (2011). Innovation in forage development: Empirical evidence from Alaba Special District, Southern Ethiopia. Development in Practice, 21(8), (pp. 1138-1152).SLM Ethiopia. SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Desho grass soil bund]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth41. Desho is planted by cuts which have good survival rates and establish better compared to grasses planted by seed.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT. Moreover, desho grows rapidly and is drought resistant once established.SLM Ethiopia. SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Desho grass soil bund]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth41.Shiferaw, A., Puskur, R., Tegegne, A., & Hoekstra, D. (2011). Innovation in forage development: Empirical evidence from Alaba Special District, Southern Ethiopia. Development in Practice, 21(8), (pp. 1138-1152).IPMS Ethiopia. Dairy: A synthesis of IPMS value-chain experiences. Retrieved from http://www.ipms-ethiopia.org/content/files/Documents/publications/Commodity%20Case%20Studies/Dairy_synthesis.pdf. (pp. 1-11). Desho is said to have high nutritive values and is naturally palatable for livestock.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.SLM Ethiopia. SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Desho grass soil bund]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth41.
Geography Desho is native to the humid Ethiopian highlands. It was discovered as a species in 1991 in the Chencha district of the southern region of Ethiopia.Welle, S., Chantawarangul, K., Nontananandh, S., & Jantawat, S. (2006). Effectiveness of grass strips as barriers against runoff and soil loss in Jijiga area, northern part of Somalia region, Ethiopia. Kasetsart Journal: Natural Science, 40, (pp. 549-558). It can grow anywhere from 1500–2800 m above sea level, but it performs best at elevations higher than 1700 m above sea level.SLM Ethiopia. SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Desho grass soil bund]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth41.
Growing conditions The technical specifications for cultivating desho are essential to improve grazing land management practices. Cuts of the grass are ideally planted in rows, spaced at 10 cm by 10 cm, using a hand hoe.Smith, G. (2010). Ethiopia: local solutions to a global problem. Retrieved from http://www.new-ag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=1784 . This spacing gives each plant sufficient soil nutrients and access to sunlight to achieve optimal growth, while ensuring the soil will be completely covered by the grass once established. It is recommended to plant other species alongside desho to promote biodiversity. Multipurpose shrubs/trees, for example Leucaena sp and Sesbania sp, can be planted approximately 5 m apart with no particular layout. Other legumes, such as alfalfa and clover, can be mixed in with desho by being broadcast throughout the plot.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.
Once planted, maintenance activities such as applying fertilizer, weeding and gap filling, ensure proper establishment and persistence of desho.SLM Ethiopia. (2004). SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Improved grazing land management]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth26. Fertilizer should be applied throughout the plot one month after planting. It is recommended to use organic compost in the form of animal manure, leaf litter, wood ash, food scraps, and/or any other rich biodegradable matters.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT. After this initial treatment, fertilizer is only applied sporadically when desho plants are struggling to grow or where replanting has taken place. Weeding and gap filling are continuous activities. However, after 2 to 3 years, maintenance inputs decrease substantially or cease altogether as the grass cover closes up and the plot becomes a sustainable fodder source.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.
Past interventions have shown that desho based grazing land management practices are best implemented and established when communal grazing land is distributed into small plots (less than 0.5 ha) for individuals to use, develop and manage.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.
Uses Desho is used as a year round fodder. To maintain the sustainability of the intervention, the plot is permanently made inaccessible to free grazing livestock; instead a cut-and-carry system is encouraged.SLM Ethiopia. SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Desho grass soil bund]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth41. Cut-and-carry means that desho is harvested and brought to livestock for stall-feeding.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT. Due to its rapid growth rate, desho provides regular harvests, even reaching monthly cuts during the rainy reason. Once a year, just before the dry season, sufficient grass is harvested and stored as hay to feed the livestock until the rains return.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.
One study assessed the effectiveness of another use for desho, the use of desho as grass strips, or hedgerows, to protect against runoff and soil loss on the slopes on the Ethiopian highlands. The results of the study showed that desho grass strips reduce soil loss by approximately 45% in the first few years of establishment compared to areas with no barriers. However, vetiver grass was found to be more effective than desho, and thus vetiver should be used as the preferred grass for hedgerow technology.Welle, S., Chantawarangul, K., Nontananandh, S., & Jantawat, S. (2006). Effectiveness of grass strips as barriers against runoff and soil loss in Jijiga area, northern part of Somalia region, Ethiopia. Kasetsart Journal: Natural Science, 40, (pp. 549-558).
Environmental impacts The desho grazing land management intervention has significant positive impacts on the natural environment, particularly when biodiversity is improved. Desho is used as a rehabilitation method to overcome land degradation caused by overpopulation and unsustainable farming practices.Smith, G. (2010). Ethiopia: local solutions to a global problem. Retrieved from http://www.new-ag.info/en/focus/focusItem.php?a=1784 .SLM Ethiopia. (2004). SLM Knowledge: Technologies [Improved grazing land management]. Retrieved from http://www.slmethiopia.info.et/slmknowledge/technologies/tech_report.php?questid=eth26. Desho greatly improves ground cover, which in turn controls runoff and soil loss. Moreover its massive root system strengthens the soil structure and improves water conservation capacities while effectively using deeper nutrients for growth.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.
The application of trees and legumes alongside desho improves soil fertility by regenerating critical nutrients such as fixed nitrogen from legumes.Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT. However, most important for land rehabilitation is the change from overgrazing to silvopasture practices (combining forestry with grazing).Danano, D. (2007). Improved grazing land management- Ethiopia. In H. Liniger, & W. Critchley (Eds,), Where the land is greener (pp. 313-316). Bern, Switzerland: WOCAT.