Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 95 (2003) 623–627 Indigenous grass species with potential for maintaining rangeland and livestock feeding in Oman Ali El-Kharbotly a,1 , Osman Mahgoub b,∗ , Ali Al-Subhi a , Abdullah Al-Halhali b a Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agriculture, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khod 123, Oman b Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 34, Al-Khod 123, Oman Received 30 October 2001; received in revised form 9 September 2002; accepted 16 September 2002 Abstract This study aimed at identifying plant species with potential for rangeland conservation and to provide livestock feed in Oman. A survey was carried out in Al-Khod region near Muscat (Oman) to identify potential grass species. Samples were collected from various sites during the rainy season (November–April) to study the morphology and chemical composition of selected grasses. Cenchrus and Pennisetum species were the most promising grasses in terms of livestock feeding. The yield of pasture dominated by Cenchrus was higher than that reported for the species in other countries with a similar arid environment and comparable to grasses grown in Oman under irrigation. Relevant meteorological records indicated that the grasses had good potential to withstand shortage of water. The germination test on burs and seeds showed high dormancy reflecting ability to survive under uncertain rainfall and potential for survival under rangeland conditions. Storage of seeds for a period of 1 year improved their germination up to 66%. Variation in morphological traits indicated the suitability of grasses to develop varieties for commercial use under farm or rangeland conditions. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Oman; Cenchrus; Pennisetum; Rangeland; Arid zones; Climate 1. Introduction Few plant species are currently used for livestock feeding in Oman and most of them are not native. Non-native plants have a limited level of adaptation to the Omani climatic and environmental conditions, which reduces their ability to produce sufficient animal feed. The shortage of livestock feeding is an important factor for animal production in the country. ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +968-515233; fax: +968-513418. E-mail addresses: alikharb@omantel.net.om (A. El-Kharbotly), osmahgob@squ.edu.om (O. Mahgoub). 1 Present address: Plant Production Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Sultanate of Oman, P.O. Box 445, Al-Khod 132, Oman. Tel.: +968-893131x223; fax: +968-893097. Serious environmental problems affect grassland cover in Oman, including salinity and over-grazing. The majority of edible forage species in rangeland are grassy species that need improvement through selec- tion and breeding. Similar approaches have been used under similar natural conditions in India and Zim- babwe based on native grasses including Cenchrus and Setaria species, which are well adapted to low rainfall and arid conditions (Rao et al., 1996). Some preliminary surveys identified native grass species in Oman (MAF, 1982; Ghazanfar, 1990) but their eco- nomic potential has not been evaluated. This study aimed to identify grass species with potential for re-introduction in natural habitat or mass production under farming conditions in the Al-Khod region of Al-Batina plains (Sultanate of Oman). 0167-8809/02/$ – see front matter © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII:S0167-8809(02)00179-2