Soil Fertility and Health Management

Soil Fertility and Health Management Research(SFHM): The SFHM research at MARC is mandated to generate, develop and adapt SFHM technologies focusing on the needs of the overall agricultural development and its beneficiaries in MARC mandated areas, to verify and demonstrate SFHM technologies on farmers’ field, and to prepare and disseminate SFHM related manuals/guidelines to be used by Subject Matter Specialists, Development Agents and farmers. The SFHM research of MARC has characterized the soils of the center, sub centers and its vicinity. The research program has made fertilizer recommendations for different crops based on soil test and crop response study results. Macro-nutrient, mainly NP fertilizer rate recommendations have been made for MARC mandated major crops including OPV maize, sorghum and common bean while provisional recommendations were made for onion and banana. Read More

In addition, provisional recommendations of micro-nutrient fertilizers as foliar applicationhave been made for tef, orange, tomato and onion. Integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizer recommendations has also been made for maize, wheat and tef crops production in the MARC mandated areas of Central Rift Valley. Techniques for composting and vermicomposting of available organic sources have been developed and are under demonstration to users. Evaluations of new fertilizers (liquid and granular) are also underway and have identified some supplementary fertilizers that can be used in combination with major fertilizers for different crops including tomato and maize. All the findings have been published on journals, proceedings, and manuals. Read More

Soil fertility depletion and the associated land degradation have been recognized as a major biophysical root cause for the declining of soil productivity and per-capita yield production in Ethiopia. Several factors including soil erosion, nutrient mining with crop harvest and removal of crop residue, low level of nutrient application and weak institutional support for managing soil fertility are responsible. The soil and water conservation research started as a research sub-division in the then department of Agricultural Engineering has now grown to the Natural Resource Management Research Process. Soil Fertility and Health Management (SFHM) is one of the three research divisions under it. The SFHM research division has been conducting different soil fertility and plant nutrient management researches to avail soil fertility management and fertilizer recommendations for major crops cultivated in MARC mandate areas. The application of inorganic fertilizers has considerably improved crop yield while the integrated use of inorganic and organic fertilizers significantly improved soil fertility and hence crop productivity. Key research findings related to optimum nitrogen and phosphorus rates for major crops, micronutrients requirement for few selected crops, and effects of new fertilizer types along with the use of integrated soil fertility management options, and strategies for enhancing soil fertility and health, and crop productivity are included in the review. Research gaps, challenges and prospects are indicated. Research and laboratory facilities constraints that have limited the research performance in the past need attention. Future research should focus on eco-friendly integrated approaches to improve soil health and crop production in a sustainable way. Read More

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