The experiment was conducted at Babille district, during 2018 and 2019 main cropping season at Erer Research Station. Erer research sub site is located latitude of 09° 10' 41.5" north and longitude of 042° 15' 27.3". The objectives of the experiments were to evaluate and select best methods of root zone moisture retention and soil conservation techniques suited for early mature sorghum. The treatments of experiments were, Control (no soil and water conservation measures), open ended tied ridge, level soil bund, contour furrow, closed ended tied ridge, Broad bed, Semi-circular and mulch respectively. The design of the experiment was RCBD with three replication. Genstats 18 th editions was used for data Analysis. Statistically there is highly significant variation among the treatments in terms of all parameters at 5% significance level across three planting years. First year, the highest plant height was obtained from the treatment with Broad bed followed by closed ended tied ridge. On other hand, the lowest plant height was recorded from the treatments with soil bund followed by control (no conservation structure). This is because of no more top fertile soil disturbance during first year. During the second and third planting year, the highest, plant height (132.86cm) and the longest panicle diameter (6.5) was recorded, from the treatments with open ended tied ridge, followed by soil bund and contour furrow respectively. That was because of soil and water conservation (swc) structures design and extra moisture harvested in those structure than rest treatments. During the first year of the experiment, the highest grain yield was obtained from the mulch followed by open ended tied ridge treatments. This is because of no and slight top soil disturbance during the construction stage. But, the third year, the maximum grain yield was recorded from contour furrow followed by open ended tied ridge (2130.9 and 2000kg ha -1 ) respectively. The lowest yield was obtained from no conservation measures followed by mulching (1125 and 1232.1 kg ha -1 ). The most probable reason for this variation can be due to the amount of the moisture harvested in the root zone of sorghum because of conservation structure. So contour furrow and open ended tied ridges are suitable swc measures for the area.

Depletion of soil organic matter, depletion of macro- and micronutrients, lack of local specific fertilizer recommendation per commodity are among core constraints in Ethiopian soils that hinders crop production including sorghum. The experiment was conducted to evaluate blended fertilizer type effect on improving production of sorghum in Bena Tsemay district, Southwestern Ethiopia. The experiment was carried out in 2018 and 2019 main cropping season and laid out in RCBD following three replications with spacing of 75cm between rows and 20cm between plants. It was done by using control, (46N+68.7P2O5) kgha-1 , (142NPS+141Urea) kgha1 , (150NPSB+141Urea) kgha-1 , (160NPSBZn+144Urea) kgha-1 , (155NPSZn+141Urea) kgha1 , (197NPSBK+141Urea) kgha-1 and (207NPSBZnK+141Urea) kgha-1 treatments. Full dose of blended fertilizer, phosphorus, boron and potassium chloride fertilizers were applied at planting time and urea was applied in two split. Partial budget analysis with dominance and marginal analysis was done for economic evaluation. The result has revealed that sorghum has responded well to the application of macronutrients with micronutrients (Zn and B) than unfertilized. Application of 150kgha-1NPSB+141kgha-1Urea resulted in highest grain yield, while the lowest grain yield was recorded from the control. The highest economic returns of 230.06% was obtained from application of 150kgha-1NPSB+141kgha-1Urea; and it gives 43.85% yield increment and 31.86% increment in economic return over the control. Application of 150kgha-1NPSB+141kgha-1Urea was recommended for farmers and investor’s to produce sorghum on the study area and similar agro ecologies, as it was optimum for improving sorghum production. Further investigation should be done on plant nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiency and optimization.

The study was conducted at Fadis research station of Fadis district in the eastern hararghe zone during 2019, 2020 and 2021. Pigeon pea is a deep-rooted and drought tolerant grain legume that adds substantial amount of organic matter to the soil and has the ability to fix up to 235 kg N/ha and produces more N per unit area from plant biomass than many other legumes. Seven pigeon pea cultivars and four variety were used as treatment materials. The objective of study was to quantify amount of soil nutrient (N) obtained/fixed because of the pigeon pea cultivars or varieties. Treatments of the experiments were pigeon pea cultivars and variety, ELR16555, ILRI16526, ELR16524, ILRI 11575, Tsegas variety, Local, Danda'a variety, ELR 11566, Belabas, ELR 16537 and ELR 11563 respectively. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications of each. Data like Plant height, Total biomass, canopy area, soil sample before and after were collected and analyzed using SAS version 9.1 (SAS, 2002). Different Pigeon pea cultivars shows highly significant difference among the treatment in terms of plant height at 5% significance level. Different Pigeon pea cultivars and variety shows highly significant difference among the treatment in terms of plant height at 5% significance level (table 2). The highest plant height (331.5cm) was recorded from Belabas variety followed by Tsegas (308.6 cm) and Danda'a variety (294.4cm). On the other hand, ELRI 16555 cultivars shows the shortest plant height (213.0cm) followed by local check (221.7cm). The highest biomass (125000 kg/ha) was recorded from Tsegas variety and the lowest biomass (45000 kg/ha) was recorded from ELRI 16537 cultivars. The highest %OC, %TN and available phosphorus and CEC were recorded from the soil under the Tsegas pigeon pea variety followed by Belabas pigeon pea variety. On the contrary the lowest were recorded from ELR11575 and local check. Generally, from the result it is possible to conclude that the highest biomass yield and almost all of the highest desired soil parameters were recorded by Tsegas variety and it is possible to recommend for the farmers of Fadis District and similar agro-ecologies.