Why do Smallholder Farmers Apply Inorganic Fertilizers below the Recommended Rates? Empirical Evidence from Potato Production in Eastern Ethiopia

Kebede, Degefu; Ketema, Mengistu

doi:10.4172/2329-8863.1000265

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Soil fertility is one of the factors that limit agricultural productivity in Ethiopia (Amare et al, 2018;Hirpa et al, 2012;Kebede and Ketema, 2017). Applying the right nutrient at the recommended rate, at the right time in the growing season and in the right place is essential for optimising the use of nutrients by crops (Chathurika et al, 2014;Ferguson et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yield-limiting plant nutrients for maize production in northwest Ethiopia

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary The potential yield of improved maize varieties usually cannot be fully realised mainly due to inappropriate soil nutrient management practices in most parts of Ethiopia. Site-specific fertiliser recommendations are rarely used in the farming systems of Ethiopia. There is also a lack of data to develop or validate decision support tools for targeting specific crop production. A study was conducted for three consecutive rainy seasons (2016–2018) in the maize belt of the north-western parts of the Amhara National Regional State of Ethiopia. The objectives were to obtain the maximum achievable yield potential of maize, determine the most yield-limiting nutrients and create a database of maize responses to applied nutrients so that decision support tools could be developed for the study areas. Treatments were individual nutrients (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)) and combinations of the three. In some treatments, NPK was also combined with sulphur, zinc, lime and compost. Two hybrid maize varieties (BH-540 and BH-660) adaptable to the study areas were used. BH-540 was used for the Mecha district, while BH-660 was used for the south Achefer, Jabitahnan–Burrie–Womberma districts. Maize yield increased by more than 50% due to fertiliser applications compared to without fertiliser. The study showed that the possibility of increasing maize productivity to more than 12 t ha-1 for the study sites. The most yield-limiting nutrient in the study sites was N, followed by P; K was not a yield limiting. Without N the yield of both varieties was non-significant from the control (without added nutrients). Maize grain yield did not respond to application of lime, compost, zinc and sulphur. The result also showed very high variability across sites, indicating that it is important for policymakers, farmers and investors to consider site-specific fertiliser recommendations. Finally, a database containing intensive plant response to NPK for maize was generated and could be used as input in site-specific decision support tools development.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yield-limiting plant nutrients for maize production in northwest Ethiopia

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Fertilizer is one of the most important inputs, which improve agricultural productivity substantially. However, evidence suggests that adoption of fertiliser and its intensity of application in Ethiopia is below the required level (Abrha, 2015; Kebede & Ketema, 2017). As shown in Table 1, the average use of chemical fertiliser for the previous three decades was found to be very low with mean value of 14.13 kg/ha.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of Agricultural Productivity in Ethiopia: ARDL Approach

Shita

Kumar

Singh

2018

The Indian Economic Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study analyses factors affecting agricultural productivity in Ethiopia for the period of 1990–2016 by using autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. Both the bounds test and the error correction model confirmed the existence of co-integration (long-run relationship) between the variables included in the model. The results revealed that cereal productivity is positively influenced by use of fertiliser and real gross domestic product (GDP) both in the long run and in the short run. While size of arable land influences productivity positively in the long run, its short-run effect was found to be negative. Hence, the government and other concerned authorities should work to enhance farmers’ use of improved technologies, such as fertiliser, by ensuring its timely availability at an affordable price, encouraging farmers to participate on alternative sources of income such as off-farm activities and bringing additional area under cereal production to improve agricultural productivity.

show abstract

“…Ketema and Kebede [29] indicated by study result revealed that variation in districts, family size, membership to cooperatives, distance to farmers training centre, and livestock holding significantly affected smallholders' intensity of adoption of DAP in maize production. On the other side, variation in district, farming experience, farm size, membership to cooperatives, dependency ratio, and annual income significantly determined intensity of adoption of Urea.…”

Section: Review In Technology Adoption Of Cereal Crops In Ethiopiamentioning

confidence: 96%