Constraints of rehabilitating degraded semi-arid lands of Kenya using indigenous perennial grasses

Abstract: 
Land degradation which among others include loss of vegetation is rampant in Kenya, destroying both the fragile arid and semiarid lands and the non-arid areas. Efforts to rehabilitate semiarid areas by re-vegetation has often failed. This study was carried out to determine factors responsible for these failures. The study was conducted in the semi-arid district of Kibwezi. Three (3) grass species Cenchrus ciliaris, Enteropogon macrostachyus and Eragrostis superba were used for revegetating the land, while agro-pastoralists in the area were interviewed through questionnaires to get their perceptions on the failures of reseeding. Low rainfall, poor seed quality, lack of enough seed, flush floods, destruction by grazing animals were found to be factors limiting the success of reseeding.
La dégradation des terres, qui comprend entre autres la perte de la végétation, est galopante au Kenya, entrainant la destruction des zones fragiles arides et semi-arides et les zones non-arides. Les efforts visant à réhabiliter les zones semi-arides par la ré-végétation a souvent échoué. Cette étude a été réalisée pour déterminer les facteurs responsables de ces échecs. L’étude a été menée dans le district semi-aride de Kibwezi. Trois (3) espèces d’herbes Cenchrus ciliaris, Enteropogon macrostachyus and Eragrostis superba ont été utilisés pour la revégétalisation des terres, tandis que les agro-éleveurs de la région ont été interviewés à partir de questionnaires pour obtenir leurs perceptions sur les échecs de l’ensemencement. La faible pluviométrie, la qualité pauvre des semences, le manque d’assez de semences, les inondations de même niveau,
Language: 
English
Date of publication: 
2010
Country: 
Region Focus: 
East Africa
University/affiliation: 
Collection: 
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Licence conditions: 
Open Access
Access restriction: 
Form: 
DVD
Publisher: 
ISSN: 
E_ISSN: 
Edition: 
Extent: 
585-588
Notes: 

About the RUFORUM 2010 Biennal Conference
"The 2010 RUFORUM Biennial Conference was the second in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholders in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme of Natural Resource Management"