Out-scaling 4R Nutrient Stewardship Knowledge to Support Crop Production Intensification in Ethiopia
IPNI-2014-ETH-1
01 Aug 2014
Project Description
The International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) SSA program in collaboration with local partners has successfully initiated a project to disseminate 4R Nutrient Stewardship knowledge to support crop production intensification in Western Kenya. The pilot project focused on developing effective models for validation and dissemination of 4R practices suitable for smallholder farming systems, using on-farm demonstrations to validate the impact of various 4R techniques, including site- and crop-specific fertilizer recommendations, on crop productivity and profits. The project has also developed various 4R knowledge products for farmers, extension agents and fertilizer dealers, while using various media platforms to communicate 4R information to farmers. Opportunities exist to scale out the project output to Ethiopia to support government-led initiatives to increase fertilizer use and develop site-specific fertilizer blends. The availability of a detailed soil map for Ethiopia, developed as part of the AfSIS project will provide soil information that will be used as a basis for adapting the 4R nutrient stewardship to local climatic and soil conditions.
As Ethiopia takes steps to support agricultural growth, approaches and tools to develop and effectively transfer 4R Nutrient Stewardship knowledge to extension systems and smallholder are essential to ensure sustainable crop production intensification. This project will be implemented in collaboration with the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), the Ministry of Agriculture, CIMMYT and IFDC to demonstrate the impact of various 4R techniques on crop productivity and profits. Linkages will also be created with Digital Green to enhance dissemination of information using video technology. The project will adapt various 4R knowledge products developed in Kenya for use by extension systems, farmer groups, and fertilizer dealers in Ethiopia. The main outputs of the project will include:
- · New agronomic and economic knowledge generated on the impact of 4R components on crop production intensification in high potential maize productions zones.
· Extension agents and lead farmers in pilot sites trained on implementation of 4R practices.
· 4R extension pamphlets for smallholder farming systems in SSA developed in English and local language.
· 4R knowledge and project outputs from the pilot sites disseminated through television, radio and print media.
· Videos of main project activities and impact of the project in the pilot site.
· 4R Content developed in form of short messages ‘tips’ and disseminated to farmers.
Additional Resources
ETH-1 ProposalSize: 0.11 MB