Seed nursery established at TALIRI station in West Kilimanjaro

In spring 2023, a nursery was established at the regional centre of the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI) near Siha, West Kilimanjaro. In the garden of the centre, some 20 plots of 10 x 2 m were established to rear various grass and legume species which are suitable for rangeland regeneration and/or forage production. The nursery includes native legume species which are considered to be good forage species but which are not commercially available and thus had to be collected in nature. 

The nursery also includes grass species which are pioneer species and thus suitable for rangeland regeneration as well as grass species which are only moderately palatable, but which play important roles in grassland ecosystems and also offer fodder for livestock and wildlife at times where the palatable plants have completely been grazed down.

The seed material generated in this nursery will be used for supporting communities in the region in regenerating degraded rangeland and increasing forage availability during the dry season or in drought years. Also, the nursery will be used for training local members of Community-Based Organisations in setting up their own nurseries and thus diversifying incomes.

Prepared by Urs Schaffner