Optimizing Fertilizer Use in Results of a Baseline Survey of Fertileer ft1 Adoption in Arsi Zone 5- ? • \ /■'% o-%.\ / i t ' - Z ' ■''\s : / a - ? v 4 - » iVv- '■ i i ' f * ^ 4a Setotaw Ferede, Hugo Verkuijl,Douglas G. Tanner and Takele Gebre Study sponsored and implemented by $ e t ii \coO . ^ , c iM m y t . p f & Q * * < Ethiopian Agricultural international Maize and - •* > Research Organizat^J v Wheat Improvement Center Sasakawa-Global 2000 Ministry of Agriculture Optimizing Fertilizer Use in Ethiopia Results of a Baseline Survey of Fertilizer Adoption in Arsi Zone Setotaw Ferede, Hugo Verkuijl, Douglas G. Tanner, and Takele Gebre Study sponsored and implemented by Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center Sasakawa-Globa! 2000 Ministry of Agriculture CIMMYT® 2000 Sasakawa-Global 2000, Addis Ababa 2000 Published by Sasakawa-Global 2000, c/o Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture Extension Department, P.O. Box 12771, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Correct citation: Setotaw Ferede, H. Verkuijl, D. G. Tanner, and Takele Gebre. 2000. Optimizing fertilizer use in Ethiopia: Results of a baseline survey of fertilizer adoption in Arsi Zone. Addis Ababa: Sasakawa-Global 2000. CONTENTS List of Tables...................................... .............................................................................. iv Foreword......................................................... ...............................................................vii Acknowledgments............................... .......................................................................viii Executive Summary................................... .................................................................... ix 1. Introduction........... .....................................................................................................1 2. Methodology........................................................................................................... 4 3. Socio-economic characteristics of the study area................................................ 5 4. Fertilizer use and sources of financing............................................................... 10 5. Cropping patterns and fertilizer adoption .............................. ......................... 14 6. Farmers' perceptions of soil fertility management practices.....................,...31 7. Relationships among farmers' reported crop yields and measured soil parameters................................ ..................................................... 36 8. Conclusions and recommendations.................................................................... 45 References........................................................................................................- ........... 48 Appendices......................................................... ...........................................................49 LIST OF TABLES 3.1. Family composition and activities of average households............................................................5 3.2. Family age distribution of average households........................................................................... 5 3.3. Education of average households........................................... ........................................................... 6 3.4. Average land holding........................................................................................................................... 6 3.5. Reasons for sharing or renting-out land................ ...... .....:..............................................................6 3.6. Type of livestock owned...................................................................................................................... 7 3.7. Purpose of owning livestock................................................ ................................................... ;........7 3.8. Land allocation to different crops by wo red a ................ ........................ ........................................8 3.9. Priorities in the disposal of crops produced................................................................................— 8 3.10. Assets owned by surveyed farmers.................................................................................................... 9 4.1. Fertilizer prices and annual fertilizer consumption per farmer.................................................. 10 4.2. Farmers' sources of fertilizer.... ......................................................................................................... 11 4.3. Month of fertilizer purchase..... ...........,........................................................... ...............................12 4.4. Average distance of fertilizer distribution centers from farm ............................................... 12 4.5. Preferences for alternative fertilizer package sizes................................................................ 13 4.6. Reasons for preferences for alternative package sizes..;................................................................ 13 4.7. Sources of finance for fertilizer purchase.........................................................................................13 5.1. Adoption of wheat varieties ......................................................................................................... ■■ 14 5.2. Average area (per adopter) sown to individual wheat varieties.................................................14 5.3. Adoption of barley varieties...............................................................................................................15 5.4. Average area (per adopter) sown to individual barley varieties.................................................15 5.5. Soil types in relation to crop grown.................................................................................................. 16 5.6. Rotation crops...................................................................................................................................... 16 5.7. Farmers' perceptions of the advantages of crop rotation..............................................................16 5.8. Reasons for not using crop rotation............................. — ........................................................ 17 5.9. Frequency of ploughing with a mares ha ............................. ...........................................................18 5.10. Fertilizer rates adopted on major crops.................. ................................................................. 18 5.11. Method of applying DAP and urea................................................................... .............................. 18 5.12. Average hand weeding frequency in major crops.........................................................................19 5.13. Time of first and second hand weedings in wheat, barley, tef, and maize............................... 20 5.14. Herbicide rate by crop....................................................................... ................................................ 20 5.15. Time of herbicide application....................................................... .................................................... 21 5.16. Methods of harvesting and handling crops....................................................................................21 5.17. Yields of major crops.............................................................................................................................21 5.18. Wheat yield by variety........................................................................................................................22 5.19. Barley yield by variety............................................................................... ......................................... 22 5.20. Farmers' experience with fertilizer for wheat after break crops.................................................23 5.21. Fertilizer rates used on wheat after a break crop ........................................................................... 23 5.22. History of fertilizer adoption..... ............................... .................................................... .................. 23 5.23. Farmers' experience with fertilizer rates after legume break crops................. ................... 24 5.24. Reasons for reducing fertilizer rates after legume break crops....................................................24 5.25. Duration of reduced fertilizer rates after legume break crops........................................... .......24 5.26. Average duration of continuous production of wheat or barley........................................ ......24 5.27. Farmers' experience with wheat production without fertilizer............................................... 25 5.28. Reasons for producing wheat without fertilizer............................................... ............................. 25 5.29. Farmers' perceptions of the rate of fertilizer used on all wheat fields.......................................25 5.30. Factors affecting the rate of fertilizer applied on wheat fields.................................... ................ 26 5.31. Farmers' perceptions of yield difference due to changed fertilizer rates...................................26 5.32. Reasons for fertilizer application in alternate years....................................................................... 26 5.33. Timeliness of fertilizer delivery............. ..........................................................................................