-->PONE-D-25-40748-->-->Farmers’ indigenous knowledge on local herbaceous forages in the Northeastern highlands of Ethiopia-->-->PLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Ebrahim,-->-->

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Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

Reviewer #1:

Reviewer #2:

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

-->Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. -->

Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Partly

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-->2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: N/A

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-->3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

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-->4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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-->5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)-->

Reviewer #1: This manuscript reported the farmers knowledge about local herbaceous forages from two districts of northeastern highlands of Ethiopia. The study is important and authors employ a well-structured analytical approach using survey data, however, following are some aspects, which should be addressed for improved presentation and scientific integrity of the manuscript.

L 22. Define SHF

Introduction

Objectives are clear and scientific background is provided.

Keeping in view the wide diversity in agroecology, culture, socioeconomics, and farmer knowledge, it is uncertain that the selected two districts truly represent all the northeastern highlands as mentioned in the title. Therefore, it is necessary to be properly justified in introduction about generalization to the wider northeastern highlands.

Methodology

L 78. What is the average rainfall and temperature of overall northeastern highlands.

Please mention the approval of study by the relevant authority?

L 96. Check for capitalization of the first letter within sentences.

Was the questionnaire structured and validated?

It is mentioned that multistage sampling procedure was adapted, however, relevant details on how respondents were selected at each stage are not included.

As mentioned in abstract primary and secondary data, how secondary data compliment the primary data.

Results and discussion

Please discuss this data in comparison with wider northeastern highlands.

Mention the details about types of feed. For example, what are different types of crop residues, improved forages, hay, green forages, and weed etc. presented in table 6.

Add some practical strategies at the end to cope with the shortage problem in addition to future directions.

Limitations of the study needs to be acknowledged in conclusion.

Reviewer #2: This paper explores farmers’ indigenous knowledge of local herbaceous forages in Ethiopia, a relevant and valuable topic. The study provides rich empirical data. However, several issues need addressing.

1.The manuscript mainly presents descriptive findings. The discussion does not sufficiently highlight how the study advances existing theories on indigenous knowledge, sustainable pasture management, or climate adaptation. The authors should strengthen the theoretical framing and explain how their results contribute to broader debates.

2.Although the sample size (n=323) is appropriate, the representativeness of the two districts should be discussed. Moreover, the analysis is heavily descriptive. Applying inferential statistics (e.g., regression models, factor analysis) could provide deeper insights into relationships between socio-economic variables and forage management practices.

3.The manuscript currently reports “N/A,” but because the study involved household interviews and focus groups, details about ethical approval and informed consent are necessary. At minimum, state whether institutional or local approval was obtained and clarify how consent was secured.

4.PLOS ONE requires full open access to data. The current statement (“available upon request”) does not meet the policy. Authors should deposit data in a public repository or clearly justify restrictions.

5.The discussion section repeats many results. More emphasis should be placed on interpretation, comparison with international literature, and implications for policy and practice. Connecting the Ethiopian case with global studies on traditional ecological knowledge would increase impact.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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<p>Farmers’ indigenous knowledge on local herbaceous forages in the Northeastern highlands of Ethiopia

PONE-D-25-40748R1

Dear Dr. Ebrahim,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Kind regards,

Jianhong Zhou

Staff Editor

PLOS One

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

-->Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.-->

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #2: (No Response)

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-->2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. -->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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-->3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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-->4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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-->5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)-->

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: The authors have addressed all previous reviewer and editor comments. The revised version demonstrates substantial improvement in scientific rigor, analytical depth, and clarity. Both the theoretical framework and data interpretation now meet the standards for publication in PLOS ONE. The manuscript is coherent, well-organized, and makes a meaningful contribution to the understanding of indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable pasture management in Ethiopia.

This revised manuscript now fulfills PLOS ONE’s scientific, ethical, and open-access standards. The topic is regionally significant and internationally relevant, contributing valuable empirical insights into the intersection of indigenous knowledge and pasture ecology.

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-->7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review?  For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.-->

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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