Pasture Management Techniques

Pasture management Planning in Tajikistan

Overgrazing, especially in the immediate vicinity of villages puts significant pressure on the communal pasture lands and leads to serious land degradation. This land degradation puts the livelihood and food security of the rural Tajik population at risk. Despite the adoption of the pasture law in 2013 (which sets the framework), community-based controlled grazing mechanisms are not yet widespread. Main reasons are the absence of by-laws and weak law enforcement. Sustainable pasture management planning is consequently a crucial tool to be applied by pasture users.

 

1. Study of the current pasture management plans to identify needs for improvement

2. Pasture plant species catalog

3. Tool for calculating the pasture carrying capacity 

4. Grazing calendars

5. Techniques for sustainable fodder production for the winter season

 

For a successful implementation of sustainable pasture management techniques, the following should be considered:

  • Assess the current conditions of the pasture and look at the current way the community is managing its pasture;
  • Improve livestock management overall and do not only look at pasture management;
  • Apply a simple tool to calculate the pasture carrying capacity;
  • Provide practical exercises in the field for farmers, e.g. through farmer field schools;
  • Ensure the pastures can regenerate after a grazing period and pastures are not grazed too early in spring;
  • Provide low-cost fencing techniques;
  • Use traditional, local varieties of fodder seeds;

  • Increase plant diversity that provides nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects;

  • Control and prevent erosion;

  • Ensures economic benefits to farmers

  • Ensure optimal use of fodder production areas;

  • Ensure access to technologies through documentation of techniques on platforms like Wocat and PANORAMA.