Agri service Ethiopia

Soil fertility degradation as a result of population pressure, limited effort to conserve own holdings, cultivation of steep slopes, over grazing, deforestation and inappropriate farming practices is the main bottleneck of crop production in Lallo Mamma Midir Wereda. The government extension package in the Wereda disseminates mineral fertilizer of same recommendation to all farmers and all agro-ecologies. Farmers, however, are constrained by high price, lack of credit, inefficient distribution and fear of indebtedness. To select better option to soil fertility management and improve crop production, participatory research was initiated by Agri-Service Ethiopia ( ASE ), Lallo Mamma Midir Program Office, and evaluated comparative effect of compost, farmyard manure (FYM), and inorganic fertilizer ( DAP and Urea). Participants in the research were 27 researcher farmers, staff of the Program Office, Sheno Agricultural Research Center and Wereda Office of Agriculture and Rural Development. It was conducted in five of the ASE operation kebeles. The experiment was laid out in RCB design with 27 replications during 2001 to 2003 crop seasons. Compost was applied at a rate of 10 ha, farmyard manure 20 ha, and chemical fertilizer 100 kg DAP 150 kg Urea/ ha, as set by regional crop production package. 50% urea and 100% DAP was applied during sowing and 50% urea was applied at tillering. Compost and FYM were applied one month before sowing. Wheat variety HAR 604 was used. The research was carried out on permanent plots and treatments applied every year. Grain yield, biomass yield, level of weed infestation, palatability of crop residue, and gastronomic performance were recorded. Data was analyzed only means were used.. Joint evaluation workshops were conducted every year at the end of each experiment. The three years average results showed that higher mean yield (19.02 q/ha) was recorded from plots where chemical fertilizer was applied followed by plots treated with compost and FYM (15.70 and 13.69 q/ha respectively). The data when each year is considered separately, showed a similar trend of higher yield from chemical fertilizer. A shift from no fertilizer application to chemical fertilizer generated additional yield of 11.13 q/ha. Similarly a shift from no fertilizer application to compost and FYM generated additional yield of 7.81 and 5.8 q/ha, respectively. Similarly, the highest biomass yields (32.14 q/ha) was obtained from plots treated chemical fertilizer followed by that of compost and FYM. Based on mean grain and biomass yields, farmers ranked chemical fertilizer as high, compost medium, FYM low and check plot as very low. Mean number of days to flower ranged from 65 (chemical fertilizer and FYM treated plots) to 69 (compost treated and check plots) and chemical fertilizer treated plots matured earlier (137 days) followed by check plots (145 days). Whereas those plots where compost and FYM were applied matured later (150 days ). Farmers chose compost because they observed that when compost is applied ones, the land could be cultivated for 3-5 consecutive years without further application and this reduces labor and raw materials. In addition, chemical fertilizer gives higher yield for the first year but decline in the consecutive years unless its application rate is increased every year, which deteriorates farmers' purchasing power. Moreover, compost has high water-holding capacity, which is advantageous during short rainy season. Furthermore, crop produced with compost application is not easily affected by frost. Crop produced applying chemical fertilizer is not palatable. Farmers reported that after they have begun consuming outputs of chemical fertilizer, they became less strong than they used to be. In order to be on the safest side of farmers' decision to chose which treatment financial analysis was carried out. T he marginal rate of return was highest from compost application, i.e., for every additional Birr invested on FYM, chemical fertilizer, and compost, there was a return of additional Birr 2.29, 2.42 and 3.60, respectively. Finally, farmers proved that different options have to be sought to maintain soil fertility, among which application of organic fertilizer is one. Hence, researcher farmers to other farmers in and outside operation areas should widely use organic fertilizer.