AUTHOR=Edjem Tesfaye , Kechero Yisehak , Guja Asrat TITLE=Diversity, seasonal availability, and nutritional value of indigenous cattle forages in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems of the Omo–Woito River Basin, southern Ethiopia JOURNAL=Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2026 YEAR=2026 URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/pastoralism-research-policy-and-practice/articles/10.3389/past.2026.16541 DOI=10.3389/past.2026.16541 ISSN=2041-7136 ABSTRACT=This study evaluated the nutritional composition, digestibility, and seasonal dynamics of indigenous cattle forage resources in the pastoral and agro-pastoral systems of the Omo - Woito River belts, southern Ethiopia. A total of 371 households were surveyed, and forage samples from 20 key species - categorized as grasses, legumes, shrubs, and fodder trees - were analyzed for chemical composition and in vitro digestibility across wet and dry seasons. Perennial grasses, including Cenchrus ciliaris and Brachiaria mutica, yielded the highest dry matter (up to 11.2 t ha-1), whereas crude protein content and in vitro organic matter digestibility were significantly greater during the wet season (p < 0.01). Fiber fractions (NDF, ADF) increased markedly in the dry season, corresponding to reduced digestibility in grasses. In contrast, browse species such as Moringa stenopetala maintained high crude protein (23.5% DM) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (77.7%) during feed-scarce periods, underscoring their role as strategic protein and energy supplements. Strong positive correlations were observed between crude protein and digestibility measures (r > 0.81), while fiber fractions were negatively associated with digestibility. These findings highlight the complementary nutritional roles of indigenous forage functional groups and support the integration of drought-tolerant browse species into seasonal feeding regimes to improve feed quality and maintain feed availability under variable climatic conditions in semi-arid production systems.