Out-scaling 4R Nutrient Stewardship Knowledge to Support Crop Production Intensification in Ethiopia

IPNI-2014-ETH-1

02 Jun 2018

2017 Annual Interpretive Summary


Crop productivity in smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia is low, with national average yields of less than 3 t/ha for cereals. As available arable land is becoming increasingly scarce, increases in production will be driven largely by intensification of inputs rather than expansion of land area.

In the past decade, the Ethiopian government has taken steps to support agricultural growth through targeted investments to ensure access to fertilizers and soil testing. The project seeks to backstop these investments by developing approaches and tools for the effective transfer of 4R Nutrient Stewardship knowledge to extension systems and smallholder farmers. This project is being implemented in collaboration with the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to demonstrate the impact of various 4R strategies on crop productivity and profit. The project is also adapting various 4R knowledge products for use by extension systems, farmer groups, and fertilizer dealers in Ethiopia.

Analysis of data from on-farm nutrient omission trials in the 2017 cropping season in Hawassa and Adami Tullu indicated the magnitude of nutrient limitations with average yield responses of 3, 1, 0.5, and 1 t/ha, respectively for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and micronutrients. Yields of up to 7 t/ha were observed with the balanced application of NPK plus micronutrients, an increase of 5 t/ha above average yields in Ethiopia. This illustrated the potential to sustainably increase yields with balanced nutrient management. However, spatial variability in response to balanced application of nutrients indicated the need for more site-specific nutrient recommendation. Subsequently, nutrient response yield data was used to develop site-specific nutrient recommendations using the Nutrient Expert® tool, and validation trials were established in the 2017 cropping season.

Capacity building of extension officers in the project areas has continued through their regular involvement in the establishment and management of 4R demonstration sites, and through targeted training workshops. Further, the project has continued to partner with local stakeholders to translate 4R knowledge products into the local Amharic language.

To initiate discourse on challenges facing the fertilizer sector in Ethiopia, the project, in collaboration with local stakeholders, organized a two-day workshop on "The status of fertilizer use and fertilizer recommendation", in Addis Ababa in July 2017. The project brought together key public and private stakeholders in the agriculture and fertilizer sectors, and resulted in a report summarizing the technical and policy issues facing the fertilizer industry in Ethiopia, and the options for improving fertilizer use and use efficiency in the country.