Reservoir Conservation in a Micro-Watershed in Tigray, Ethiopian Highlands

Soil erosion in Ethiopian highlands has caused land deterioration due to moving nutrient-rich top soil to downstream reservoirs while leaving reservoirs dysfunctional due to sedimentation. Micro-watershed management by removing reservoir sediments and using them for reclaiming farmland, while using reservoir water for irrigation, can be a potential solution to simultaneously address soil and water constraints and food security challenges. Still, there is knowledge gap before such a solution can be practically applied. The objective of this paper is to present potential solutions for the reservoir sedimentation problem and specifically highlight the utility of bathymetric survey using an echo-sounder to assess sediment volume. Our results indicated that the estimated reservoir sediment volume was 6400 m3 leading to a reclamation of 3.2 hectares by layering 0.2 m sediment. The sediment used for reclamation depicts neutral pH (7.3), high organic carbon (2.5%), available phosphorus (9.2 mg/kg) and exchangeable potassium (25 cmol(+)/kg). Garlic (Allium sativum) was planted in the reclaiming abandoned farmland and produced 7.1 t/ha of bulb on average. There is a potential of producing 2–3 horticultural crops per year. Thus, developing methods for scaling up potential farmland reclamation using reservoir sediment would contribute to degraded farmland restoration and food security in Ethiopia and beyond

Disadoption of Improved Agronomic practices in Cowpea and Maize at Ejura-Sekyeredumase and Atebubu-Amantin Districts in Ghana

The improved cowpea and maize production methods developed in Ghana with the help of farmers are fundamental to increasing cowpea and maize productivity. Improved agronomic practices in cowpea and maize production believed to increase yield are row planting, the use of cover crops and the use of poultry manure. However, the practices are gradually losing their importance in cowpea and maize production. The paper therefore explores the extent to which various factors affect the disadoption of improved agronomic practices and reasons behind disadoption. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select hundred farmers from two cowpea and maize producing areas. Results revealed adoption of cover crops, row planting, poultry manure dropped from 13% to 6%, 99% to 53% and 77% to 10%, respectively. Financial constraint, difficulty in use, time and labour intensity were reasons for disadoption. Empirical results revealed that number of years in education, gender of farm household head, household size, access to extension and hired labour influenced disadoption of improved agronomic practices. Access to production inputs and continuous supply of information are important for farmers’ continuous use of improved agricultural technologies

Site-specific responses of lowland rice to acidulated and calcined phosphate rock fertilizers in the Center-West region of Burkina Faso.

Soil phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major constraint of crop production in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, P is rarely replenished as fertilizer supplies are limited in rural areas and because of the socio-economic situation of farmers. There is however, an abundance of local phosphate rock resource in the country. The development of local inorganic P fertilizers to improve crop production and replace the nutrients removed after harvesting, as well as to promote to sustainable agriculture, is desired. This study evaluated the efficiency of low-grade Burkina Faso phosphate rock (BPR)-based P fertilizers, produced by acidulation and calcination-the major fertilizer processing methods, on lowland rice production and the soil factors influencing their effectiveness. The results showed that the acidulated P fertilizers were as effective as conventional commercial P fertilizers on various soil types, textures, and fertility. Calcined P fertilizers were consistently effective on fine-textured soils with high basic fertility. It was found that fine soil texture and basic fertility of the initial soils were important factors in agronomic efficiency of BPR-based fertilizers and the resilience of rice production to climatic variability. It is recommended that soil type, with respect to soil texture, soil properties, inherent fertility, and water availability, should be considered when using BPR-based fertilizers for rice cultivation