Rainwater harvesting from roads enhanced indigenous pasture establishment in a typical African dryland environment

African drylands are a key source forage for pastoral livestock herds. However, land degradation and recurrent droughts have resulted to shrinkage of natural grazing pastures. This poses the greatest challenge to livestock production in African drylands. Combining innovative sustainable land management practices notably rainwater harvesting from roads and grass seeding using native grasses have been identified as a viable option for increased pasture production and rehabilitation of degraded pasturelands. Morpho-ecological characteristics of indigenous grasses Cenchrus ciliaris L. (African foxtail grass), Eragrostis superba Peyr. (Maasai love grass) and Enteropogon macrostachyus (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) Monro ex Benth. (Wild rye grass) were planted to determine the suitability of rainwater harvesting from roads using trenches for pasture establishment and rehabilitation in a semi-arid landscape in Africa. Plant densities (plants m-2), plant frequency (%) and biomass yields (DM g m-2) significantly declined (P ˂0.05) with distance away from the water trenches (0 m, 5 m and 10 m). In conclusion, harvesting and diverting runoff from roads into trenches prolong soil moisture availability to enhance indigenous pasture production and rehabilitation of degraded grazing lands in African dryland environments.