Integrating Forages into Ethiopia’s Sustainable Land Management: A systematic review

Integrating Forages into Ethiopia’s Sustainable Land Management: A systematic review | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 10 March 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Integrating Forages into Ethiopia’s Sustainable Land Management: A systematic review Authors : Kalkidan Ayele Mulatu 0009-0002-4898-3205 [email protected] , Wuletawu Abera 0000-0002-3657-5223 , An Notenbaert , Yonas Getaneh , Solomon Mwendia , and Marit Jorgensen Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174158682.28288865/v1 206 views 205 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract This study investigates the role of forage cultivation in land restoration in Ethiopia, addressing the scarcity of organized evidence that has hindered its widespread adoption in sustainable land management practices. Despite global recognition of the benefits of forages in combating land degradation, research specific to Ethiopia remains fragmented. Through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis, this study synthesizes the multifunctionality of forages, highlighting that while thousands of studies address forages and restoration independently, only a few hundred explore their intersection. Findings reveal regional variations in forage-based land restoration research, with agroforestry and rotation systems prominent in the north, pasture improvement in the southwest, intercropping in central regions, and soil and water conservation in the south. Forage integration in rotation and intercropping systems delivered significant farm-level benefits, including enhanced food security, income, and soil health, while its inclusion in soil and water conservation, agroforestry, and pasture improvement contributed to landscape-level restoration outcomes. Forage species selection was found to be influenced by intervention types and goals, with grass-based varieties preferred for soil-water conservation and legumes for rotation systems to improve soil fertility and crop yields. Grass-legume mixtures demonstrated effectiveness in rehabilitating degraded pastures, stabilizing soils, and enhancing livestock productivity. Despite the potential of forages to reduce erosion, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improve livelihoods, challenges persist in scaling successful models and accurately quantifying their impacts. The study concludes that forage cultivation, when tailored to regional contexts and integrated into diverse land management systems, offers a viable pathway for achieving land restoration and food security goals in Ethiopia, though scaling and impact quantification remain key challenges. Supplementary Material File (mulatukalkidansubmitted.docx) Download 680.65 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 10 March 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords ecosystem restoration ethiopia improved forages land degradation multifunctionality Authors Affiliations Kalkidan Ayele Mulatu 0009-0002-4898-3205 [email protected] Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Africa Hub View all articles by this author Wuletawu Abera 0000-0002-3657-5223 Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Africa Hub View all articles by this author An Notenbaert Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Africa Hub View all articles by this author Yonas Getaneh Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Africa Hub View all articles by this author Solomon Mwendia Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Africa Hub View all articles by this author Marit Jorgensen NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 206 views 205 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Kalkidan Ayele Mulatu, Wuletawu Abera, An Notenbaert, et al. Integrating Forages into Ethiopia’s Sustainable Land Management: A systematic review. Authorea . 10 March 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174158682.28288865/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) Bluesky LinkedIn email View full text | Download PDF {"doi":"10.22541/au.174158682.28288865/v1","type":"Article"} Now Reading: Share Figures Tables Close figure viewer Back to article Figure title goes here Change zoom level Go to figure location within the article Download figure Toggle share panel Toggle share panel Share Toggle information panel Toggle information panel Go to previous graphic Go to next graphic Go to previous table Go to next table All figures All tables View all material View all material xrefBack.goTo xrefBack.goTo Request permissions Expand All Collapse Expand Table Show all references SHOW ALL BOOKS Authors Info & Affiliations About FAQs Contact Us Directory RSS Back to top Powered by Research Exchange Preprints Help Terms Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences $(document).ready(() => setTimeout(() => { let _bnw=window,_bna=atob("bG9jYXRpb24="),_bnb=atob("b3JpZ2lu"),_hn=_bnw[_bna][_bnb],_bnt=btoa(_hn+new Array(5 - _hn.length % 4).join(" ")); $.get("/resource/lodash?t="+_bnt); },4000)); (function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'9ff60e3d9bdc4807',t:'MTc3OTM5MjQ1NQ=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();