Digitaria grasses: diversity and agricultural interactions in Madagascar

Developing an up-to-date classification for the genus Digitaria

Madagascan farmer sat on a cart of grass being pulled by cattle

This project is working to establish the identity of Digitaria species in Madagascar, build local capacity to identify the species, and enable Malagasy highland smallholders to improve rangeland and weed management practices.

Different species within the genus Digitaria can be nutritious forages species or noxious weeds. Managing these species can improve the productivity and resilience of smallholder pastoral and arable farming systems, reducing poverty, but this depends on the ability to differentiate between species, which is currently hindered by an incomplete taxonomy and lack of targeted resources.

Our long-term relationships with the rural communities in Ibity, Itremo and Ambohidray areas will allow us to connect our taxonomic and nomenclatural work to the reality of Malagasy agrisystems.

George Burton
Thomas Haevermans
Lorna MacKinnon
Mijoro Rakotoarinivo
Nantenaina Rakotomalala
Fenitra Randrianarimanana
Jean Augustin Randriamampianina
Sami Touafchia
Maria S. Vorontsova

  • University of Antananarivo, Plant Biology and Ecology Department (DBEV)
  • National Center for Applied Research on Rural Development (FOFIFA)
  • Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris
  • Imperial College London
  • Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment
  • Produce a taxonomic revision of the genus Digitaria in Madagascar by using field, herbarium and molecular methods to define and name all species, and build grass identification capacity in the Department of Plant Biology and Ecology at the University of Antananarivo.
  • Produce audience- targeted literature and posters to help Malagasy highland smallholders identify valuable forage species and appropriate control methods for their weeds by using the correct species names to find and build forage and weed control knowledge, and thus increase food production and its resilience.
  • Develop DNA barcodes for future reliable identification of Digitaria and establish DNA identification capacity at the University of Antananarivo, using kits and sequencing facilities outside Madagascar.
  • GCRF Royal Society International Collaboration Award 2020
  • NERC SSCP DTP