Reporting 2021 Evidences
Evidences
Study #3597
Contributing Projects:
     ● P1682 - Product Line 3.1.1: On-farm, large-scale and global feed assessments and prioritization
approaches
Part I: Public communications
Type: OICR: Outcome Impact Case Report
Status: Completed
Year: 2021
Title: The use of the new Tropical Forages Selection Tool by research, academia, farmers and other
actors in the global Tropics
Short outcome/impact statement:
The Tropical Forages Selection Tool (TF) is an open-access online knowledge system used by
researchers, educators, extensionists and livestock/forage producers from Latin America, Asia and
Africa to obtain expert information on 172 major forages in tropical/sub-tropical areas. Since the
release of a new online, mobile version in 2020 that incorporates 15 years of forage research
advances, unique user numbers doubled to 80,000. The tool is considered a foremost guide in the
selection of forages to suit specific environments.
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Reporting 2021 Evidences
Outcome story for communications use:
The global demand for meat, milk and eggs is expected to double by 2050, with the largest increases
foreseen in developing countries. This will put pressure on both the food systems and the
environment, requiring not only a shift of dietary patterns but also more sustainable ways of
production. Forages are commonly the most cost-effective option to supply feed demands,
particularly for ruminant livestock, and are central in the sustainable intensification of mixed
crop-forage-livestock-tree systems. Sustainable intensification not only improves the productivity of
tropical forage-based systems but also reduces the ecological footprint of livestock production and
generates a diversity of ecosystems services. Selecting the most suitable forages for the local system
and conditions is critical. Farmers depend on advice from extension and development agencies, and
from seed companies, but this advice is often limited by the difficulty in accessing reliable information.
Tropical Forages is an open access online knowledge system created between 2000 and 2005. It is the
preeminent source providing detailed information on forages grown in the tropics and sub-tropics
and incorporates a species selection tool based on target environment and forage use. The ability to
select and prioritize forages for specific niches, environments, socio-economic conditions, and specific
animal requirements is important to mitigate feed shortages and improve natural resource
management.
Since its release in 2005, Tropical Forages has been extensively used by researchers, extension
agencies, NGOs, farmers, and educational institutions around the world. However, research has
advanced during the last 10-15 years and generated new information on forage performance and use
in a wide range of environments. At the same time, rapid advances in knowledge management and
information technology were made, such as the use of mobile devices and automatic translation
features. Between 2017 and 2020, Tropical Forages was updated with the aim to enrich the tool both
in terms of content and technical features to enhance its quality, utility, usability, and reach. The new
version was launched in August 2020, and now contains updated information on 172 forage species
for the tropics and subtropics, which is accessible through a website and mobile application and can
be automatically translated into numerous languages.
The tool is currently being used on average by >6,500 unique visitors per month from the global
Tropics, resulting in >40,000 monthly page views on average. The user spectrum is very broad, coming
mostly from Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Links to any communications materials relating to this outcome:
    ● https://tinyurl.com/yfgfoeqs
    ● http://tropicalgrasslands.info/index.php/tgft/pages/view/Newsletter9
    ● http://tropicalgrasslands.info/index.php/tgft/pages/view/Newsletter7
Part II: CGIAR system level reporting
Link to Common Results Reporting Indicator of Policies : No
Stage of maturity of change reported: Stage 1
Links to the Strategic Results Framework:
Sub-IDOs:
    ● Adoption of CGIAR materials with enhanced genetic gains
    ● Closed yield gaps through improved agronomic and animal husbandry practices
Is this OICR linked to some SRF 2022/2030 target?: Too early to say
Description of activity / study: The use of the new Tropical Forages Selection Tool
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Reporting 2021 Evidences
Geographic scope:
    ● Global
Comments: n/a
Key Contributors:
Contributing CRPs/Platforms:
     ● Livestock - Livestock
Contributing Flagships:
     ● F3: Livestock Feeds and Forages
Contributing Regional programs: <Not Defined>
Contributing external partners:
     ● ACIAR - Australian Center for International Agricultural Research
     ● GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit / German Society for
International Cooperation
CGIAR innovation(s) or findings that have resulted in this outcome or impact:
P1682 1751 New Updated Tropical Forages Selection Tool The Tropical Forages Selection Tool (TF) is
an open-access online knowledge system developed between 2000 and 2005 and updated between
2017 and 2020. It provides detailed information on 172 major forages grown in the tropics and
sub-tropics and incorporates a species selection tool based on target environment and forage use.
The ability to select and prioritize forages for specific production niches, environments,
socio-economic and animal requirements is important to mitigate feed shortages and improve natural
resource management as part of sustainable farming systems. Between 2017 and 2020, Tropical
Forages was updated with the aim to enrich the tool both in terms of content and technical features
to enhance its quality, utility, usability, and reach. The new version was launched in August 2020, and
now contains updated information on 172 forage species for the tropics and subtropics, which is
accessible through a website and mobile application and can be automatically translated into
numerous languages. Several workshops and capacity building events have been employed to
increase the spread and use of the tool and it was also presented at various conferences.
Innovations:
    ● 1751 - Updated Tropical Forages Selection Tool for forage prioritization in the global tropics by
researchers, academics, farmers and other actors (https://tinyurl.com/2n6ebhgn)
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Reporting 2021 Evidences
Elaboration of Outcome/Impact Statement:
Tropical Forages [1,2] is among the most used and cited (>660 citations) forage databases worldwide.
It is widely used in the education and research sectors, contributing to increasing the global
knowledge base on tropical forages, and increasingly attracts other users, such as extension workers
and primary producers.
In 2021 (until September), increases of the monthly page views of >80%, sessions of >32%, and
unique visitors of >30% were observed when compared with previous years [4,5], which is related to
the availability of a) a mobile app with offline content (facilitates use in the field) [3], and b) an
automatic translate function [1,2] of the new version.
The tool is being used across the global tropics, mainly in Latin America, Africa, and Asia [4,5].
Research and education still make up the largest user group (>65% of the users), while users more
focused on implementing forages at the farm level (extension workers and farmers) make up 33% [4].
To increase awareness, we presented the tool at various capacity building events [6,7] and conferences
[8, 9]. One event that stands out was a virtual seminar series on sustainable cattle in Latin America in
2020, where the tool was presented to >23,000 participants from the global tropics [10].
Below, we provide insights from users of Tropical Forages [5]:
“I don’t know any other source of information that includes that level of detail for each species.
Specifically, the agricultural inputs required for each of the presented materials. For me that
information is priceless for my work”.- Prof. Germán Kimmich, Universidad del Salvador
(USAL)/Argentina, who uses the tool in a course on forages and for developing extension materials for
cattle farmers of the Misiones province, recommending forage species that are best adapted to high
humidity and extreme drought.
“It is very difficult to find legitimate information on forages, and the info provided by seed sellers
tends to be biased. We have found on Tropical Forages technical information validated scientifically,
and the recommendations of the selection tool have been very assertive for different environments”. -
Dr. Rafael Marzall do Amaral, Professor at the Earth University in Costa Rica, who uses the tool as a key
resource for a course on tropical animal production.
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Reporting 2021 Evidences
References cited:
•[1] Cook BG; Pengelly BC; Schultze-Kraft R; Taylor M; Burkart S; Cardoso Arango JA; González Guzmán
JJ; Cox K; Jones C; Peters M. 2020. Tropical Forages: An interactive selection tool. 2nd and Revised Edn.
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia, and International Livestock
Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya. www.tropicalforages.info (www.tropicalforages.info)
•[2] Urrea-Benítez, J.L. (2020) El rol de las comunicaciones en la transformación de la ganadería.
Presentado en los Conversatorios sobre Ganadería Sostenible, Mayo-Agosto de 2020. Cali, Colombia:
Alianza Bioversity-CIAT. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111108 (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111108)
•[3] Urrea-Benítez, J.L.; Sotelo, M.E. (2020) Las TIC en la agricultura: Herramientas de vanguardia para
un acceso más amplio al conocimiento. Presentado en los Conversatorios sobre Ganadería Sostenible,
Mayo-Agosto de 2020. Cali, Colombia: Alianza Bioversity-CIAT. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111109
(https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111109)
•[4] Burkart S, Urrea JL, Cardoso JA, Peters M, Jones C (2021) Tropical Forages Selection tool – How it
works (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116196)
•[5] Urrea-Benítez, J.L.; Peters, M.; Burkart, S. (2020) ICTs in agriculture: State of the art tools for
broader access to tropical forage knowledge. Poster prepared for the Tropentag 2020: Food and
Nutrition Security and its Resilience to Global Crises, Virtual Conference, 9–11 September 2020. Cali,
Colombia: CIAT. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111074 (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111074)
•[6] Cook, B.G.; Schultze-Kraft, R.; Pengelly, B.C.; Taylor, M.; Jones, C.; Burkart, S.; Peters, M. 2019.
Tropical Forages: an interactive selection tool. Mobile application. CIAT and ILRI.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lucidcentral.mobile.tropical_forages
(https://tinyurl.com/rxjevle)
•[7] Burkart, S.; Urrea-Benítez, J.L. (2021) Tropical Forages Selection Tool – user survey information. Cali
(Colombia): Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT. 7 p. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115995
(https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115995)
•[8] Pengelly, B.C.; Cook, B.G.; Partridge, I.J.; Eagles, D.A.; Peters, M.; Hanson, J.; Brown, S.D.; Donnelly,
J.L.; Mullen, B.F.; Schultze-Kraft; Franco, A.; O'Brien, R. 2005. Selection of Forages for the Tropics (SoFT)
- a database and selection tool for identifying forages adapted to local conditions in the tropics and
subtropics. Tropical Grasslands (Australia) 39(4):241-244. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/1950
(https://hdl.handle.net/10568/1950)
•[9] Urrea Benítez, J.L.; Burkart, S. (2021) Scaling-out knowledge: how the pandemic helped spreading
the voice for a more sustainable cattle sector. Poster/Presentation prepared for Tropentag 2021 -
Towards shifting paradigms in agriculture for a healthy and sustainable future, 15-17 September 2021.
Cali (Colombia): Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115083
(https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115083)
•[10] Burkart, S; Urrea-Benítez, J.L. (2020) The Colombian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and Dairy:
2020 activities. (https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/111099)
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Reporting 2021 Evidences
Quantification:
Type of quantification: b) Extrapolated estimates
Number: 6500.00
Unit: monthly unique users
Comments: Average monthly unique users in 2021 (Jan-Sep): 6,500
Type of quantification: b) Extrapolated estimates
Number: 9500.00
Unit: Average monthly sessions
Comments: Average monthly sessions in 2021 (Jan-Sep): 9,500
Type of quantification: b) Extrapolated estimates
Number: 40500.00
Unit: Average monthly page views
Comments: Average monthly page views in 2021 (Jan-Sep): 40,500
Type of quantification: b) Extrapolated estimates
Number: 89.00
Unit: Growth rate of page views since launch of the new version
Comments: Growth rate of page views since launch of the new version in August 2020: 89%
Type of quantification: b) Extrapolated estimates
Number: 486000.00
Unit: Total estimated page views for 2021
Comments: Total estimated page views for 2021: 486,000
Gender, Youth, Capacity Development and Climate Change:
Gender relevance: 0 - Not Targeted
Youth relevance: 0 - Not Targeted
CapDev relevance: 1 - Significant
Main achievements with specific CapDev relevance: Capacity Development: Several workshops and
capacity building events have been employed to increase the spread and use of the tool (e.g.,
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111108, https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111109). The tool was also
presented at various conferences to increase its spread (e.g., https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115083,
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/111074, https://hdl.handle.net/10568/98376). The tool itself also fulfils
an important role in capacity development, since its information is being used for a) educational
purposes (e.g., universities, rural colleges, agricultural colleges, and high schools), b) extension, and c)
on-farm improvements by farmers.
Climate Change relevance: 1 - Significant
Describe main achievements with specific Climate Change relevance: The ability to select and
prioritize forages for specific niches, environments, socio-economic conditions, and specific animal
requirements is important to mitigate feed shortages and improve natural resource management as
part of sustainable farming systems.
Other cross-cutting dimensions: No
Other cross-cutting dimensions description: <Not Defined>
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Reporting 2021 Evidences
Outcome Impact Case Report link: Study #3597
Contact person:
Dr. Stefan Burkart, Senior Scientist, CRP Livestock, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, email:
s.burkart@cgiar.org
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