Farmer’s Perceptions on the Farmland Management Practices, Perceived Challenges and Prospects: The Case of Mareka District, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The present study was undertaken in Mareka District, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia to assess major types, perceived challenges and prospects of farmland management problems in the study area. Mixed research design was used, and both primary and secondary data were collected. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, and percentage were used to describe the background information, types and prospects of major farmland management problems of sample households in the study area. The result of this study revealed that educational status, types of crops cultivated, population pressure, deforestation, culture, over grazing, lack of awareness, topography and poverty are among the challenges that affect farmland management practices in the study area. According to the perception of sample households, there are prospects like favorable government policies and strategies, availability of extension services and scaling up of best practices and establishment of farmer training centers. Thus, to secure sustainable farmland management practices proper monitoring and evaluation, conservation oriented crop combination land management, afforestation, agro-forestry, adequate training in farmer training centers, access to information and proper planning of the population growth are highly recommended for the study area. Keywords: Challenges, Prospects, Farmland Management Practices, Mareka District. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/9-17-05 Publication date:September 30th 201

Response Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to Liming of Acid Soils under Different Land Use Systems of Loma Woreda, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Soil acidity problem is among soil degradation constraints to improve crop production and productivity in high rainfall regions of Ethiopia in general and in study area in particular. A greenhouse pot experiment was undertaken to evaluate wheat crop response to the applications of different rates of agricultural lime in acidic soils under different land uses (forest, grazing and cultivated) of the study area. The experiment employed 3×6 factorial combination of three land use types and six rates (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 t ha-1) of agricultural lime as treatments in a completely randomized design with three replications. The interaction of different land use types and applied lime rates very highly significantly (P≤0.01) influenced plant height, grain yield, total dry biomass weight, and harvest index however, insignificantly (P≤0.05) influenced days to 50% crop emergence, grain filling and physiological maturity, number of tillers and effective tillers each per plant, thousand kernel weight and P uptake. The responses of wheat to different lime rates and the yield advantages obtained differed from one land use type to another. Applications of lime, organic and inorganic fertilizers and crop rotation especially in the cultivated lands may enhance the productivity of the soils and the yield advantage of the crops. Keywords: Loma woreda, Wheat, Soil acidity, Lime rate, Land use types

Impacts of Land Use Types on Selected Soil Physico-Chemical Properties of Loma Woreda, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

A study was conducted in Loma Woreda, Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia, to investigate the impacts of land use types (forest, grazing and cultivated) on the selected soil physico chemical properties of the study area. Composite surface (0-20 cm) soil samples were collected randomly from three sites of each land use which were adjacent to each other and subjected to laboratory analysis. The results of the study revealed that there was relative variation in proportion of sand and clay content among the land use types though they have the same textural class. The bulk density of the soils decreased from grazing to cultivated and then to forest land, while total porosity decreased from forest to cultivated and then to grazing lands. The average soil pH-H2O value of the area varied from very strongly acidic to strongly acidic. Exchangeable acidity and Percent Acid Saturation were significantly lower by about 60.02 and 61.54% in the forest soils than the soils of cultivated lands, and 29.70 and 38.32% than that of grazing lands, respectively. As compared to the soils of forest land, the amount of soil OM, TN and CEC in cultivated land have declined by about 76.53, 60.83 and 38.97%, respectively. The available P, exchangeable bases and PBS have shown decreasing trends in the soils of forest to grazing and then to cultivated land uses. From this study, it can be concluded that the soil fertility and quality were well maintained relatively under the forest land, while the impact on most parameters were negative on the soils of the cultivated land. Applications of lime, organic and inorganic fertilizers and crop rotation especially in the cultivated lands may enhance the productivity of the soils, implying the need for undertaking integrated soil fertility management in sustainable way to improve and maintain the favorable soil properties

Combined application of farmyard manure and NPSB fertilizer rates determination for the optimal tuber yield of potato in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is grown to ensure food security and provide income for smallholder farmers, but its productivity is low due to poor nutrient management. The combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can enhance the productivity and quality of potatoes. This study aimed to determine the optimum combination of farmyard manure and NPSB fertilizer rates for the optimal potato yield. The study was conducted in two locations for the 2020 and 2021 cropping seasons using randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the combined application of FYM and NPSB fertilizer significantly influenced main stem number, plant height, marketable tuber number and yield, unmarketable tuber yield, total tuber number, and total tuber yield. The highest marketable tuber number per hill (8.51), marketable tube yield (41.85 t ha−1), and total tuber yield (44.10 t ha−1) were obtained at the Waka by the application of 2.5 t ha−1 FYM + 75 % of the suggested NPSB fertilizer rate. At the Kachi, the maximum marketable tuber number per hill (7.12), marketable tube yield (40.72 t ha−1), and total tuber yield (41.46 t ha−1) were recorded by the application of 5 t ha−1 FYM + 50 % of the suggested NPSB fertilizer rate. The economic analysis resulted in the highest net benefits (552454.18 ETB ha−1) with the highest marginal rate of return(5477.90 %) at Waka, while the application of 5 t ha−1 FYM + 50 % of the suggested NPSB fertilizer rate gained the highest net benefits (534656.12 ETB ha−1) with the highest marginal rate of return (8064.59 %) at Kachi. Therefore, potato-growing farmers should use 2.5 t ha−1 FYM +75 % of the suggested NPSB fertilizer rate and 5 t ha−1 FYM +50 % of the suggested NPSB fertilizer rate at the Waka and Kachi, respectively, and similar soil types