Description
Similar names: Community Seed Banks (also for other seeds)
Grass seed banks are a conservation and restoration strategy aimed at revitalizing degraded landscapes, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Communities can decide where they are suitable and establish them in degraded areas of about ten hectares. Grass seed banks are sowed with grass seedlings and should be naturally fenced using shrubs to protect the grasses against grazing livestock and wildlife. These seed banks serve as repositories of native grass seeds, which are essential for restoring vegetation cover in areas affected by desertification, land degradation, and biodiversity loss. They are a community-based initiative that restores degraded landscapes and provides economic opportunities for local communities, especially women. Grass seed banks can be managed and maintained by local women’s groups, who sow and harvest the grand grass seeds. Once the grasses are fully grown, they produce grass seeds, which the women can sell at local markets (for example to other restoration projects) or as fodder for livestock.
By selling the grass seeds, women can earn additional income. When grass seed bank projects are successful, the status of the women in the community can be improved. Selling the grass seeds can also help other restoration projects and thereby help to regreen other areas as well. Moreover, they can help to attract insects and small animals, which boosts local biodiversity and the growth of vegetation in the area around the seed banks.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Material required
- Grass seeds
- Local shrubs for the living fence
- Materials for strengthening the fence
- Portable grass cutter
- Hay Baling machine
- Weeding gloves
- Plough
Steps of implementation
- Finding a suitable area: Identify a degraded area suitable for the establishment of a grass seed bank. Suitable area: enough space for a site selection of around ten hectares, exposure to sunlight, and preferably on a formal pasture or grassland.
- Community involvement: Involve the (rest of the) local community in the decision-making process.
- Site selection: The community selects the site in the degraded area of around ten hectares.
- Seed collection: Collecting seeds from native grass species within the target region, ensuring genetic diversity and adaptation to local conditions.
- (If needed) Seed storage: Proper storage conditions are critical to maintaining seed viability. Seeds are carefully dried, cleaned, and stored in a controlled environment. This can be stored in various ways, including piles, single layers, sacks, or open containers, under shelter against rain, well-ventilated, and protected from rodents. The ideal storage conditions for seeds are low relative humidity, low temperature, consistent temperature, sealed containers, and avoiding exposure to light. The recommended temperature for seed storage is 35-40°F (2-4°C), and the relative humidity should be 30% or as low as possible.
- Fencing: Establish a living fence of local shrubs to protect the grasses from grazing livestock and wildlife. See the ‘fencing against grazing’ intervention here.
- Tilling: turning over the soil to create a conducive seedbed by loosening the earth, controlling weeds, and incorporating organic matter for optimal crop growth.
- Sowing Grass Seeds: Indigenous grass seed species are sown, and tree branches are used to cover them. Wait for the first rains of the rainy season to start falling, and the seeds will sprout and grow into tall grasses.
- Harvesting: Harvest the grasses and grass seeds once they are fully grown (twice a year). The specific timing for harvesting the grasses from the seed banks depends on the local growing season and the type of grass species being cultivated. The perfect timing is when the seeds are fully mature but have not yet been released.
- Selling: the grasses and grass seeds can be sold at local markets or to other regreening projects.
- Monitoring: Regular monitoring of the planted grasses' growth, establishment, and overall ecosystem health is essential to track the success of the restoration effort.
- Management: Grass seed bank management is ongoing and includes activities such as weeding (twice per season), maintenance of the protective fence, and regular community meetings to foster shared responsibility. Training and knowledge exchange among women's groups further enhances project outcomes.
Option: in case of elephants breaking in and impacting the grasses, their beehives can be made use of to scare them away (Save the Elephants). In this case, the women can learn how to take care of bees and can sell the honey for extra income.
BENEFITS
This intervention contributes to:
COSTS
| Expense | Cost in KES (2016) | Cost in USD (2016) |
| Grass seed (per 40 kg) | 400,000 | $3,640 |
| Seed replacement (10%) | 40,000 | $364 |
| Fence materials (quality-dependent) | 400,000 | $3,640 |
| Transport if needed | 20,000 | $182 |
| Labour for fencing | 70,000 | $637 |
| Ploughing | 50,000 | $455 |
| Trainings & sowings (20 women) | 80,000 | $728 |
| Machines | 50,000 | $455 |
| Total: | 1,110,000 | $8,501 |
CASE STUDIES
Description
In Kenya's Olgulului-Ololarashi Group Ranch (OOGR), a project aims to restore heavily overgrazed and eroded Maasai rangelands through a mix of traditional and modern regreening techniques, focusing on sustainable grazing management and rainwater harvesting. This area, which borders Amboseli National Park, is crucial for both wildlife and livestock. The Maasai pastoralists, who rely heavily on livestock, face challenges due to severe droughts, overgrazing, and reduced communal land, leading to degraded rangelands and increased competition between people and wildlife, particularly elephants. Amboseli National Park, known for its large elephant population, also suffers from land degradation due to persistent droughts, reducing food and water availability for its wildlife. To address this, the Maasai community, along with local partners African Conservation Centre (ACC) and Amboseli Ecosystem Trust (AET), has implemented regreening techniques in Amboseli and OOGR.
One key initiative by Just Diggit involves establishing grass seed banks to restore the rangelands. So far, the project has benefited over 80,000 people and restored more than 17,000 hectares of land. Three grass seed banks have been created, involving 128 women in their management. These grass seed banks are part of a broader approach that includes traditional Maasai grazing management techniques (olopololi plots), water bunds, grazing committees, and woodland exclosures. Olopololi plots, which were previously out of practice, have been reintroduced. These are designated areas of communal land where grazing is controlled and allowed only during specific periods, such as the end of the dry season, to ensure sustainable grassland management. Grazing committees of community members supervise these plots to allow grass to regenerate effectively.
2. Community Seed Banks Restoration in Nepal
Description
Community seed banks (CSBs) are informal institutions run by local communities to preserve seeds of different crops. They help farmers access diverse seeds, share knowledge, and improve crop varieties. CSBs are important during crises like natural disasters, providing seeds to affected farmers. In Nepal, CSBs managed by the UNEP GEF Local Crop Project have been successful in conserving and sharing seeds, benefiting thousands of households. CSBs also play a role in participatory crop improvement, involving farmers in breeding and selecting better varieties. However, there are challenges, like the lack of awareness about farmers' rights and legal issues. Efforts are being made to establish CSBs as legitimate institutions for farmers' rights and access to genetic resources. Overall, CSBs are crucial for ensuring seed diversity, supporting local agriculture, and empowering farmers.
