Evaluation of the Effect of Grazing Lands Top Dressing with Inorganic Fertilizer on Biomass Yields for Sustainable Animal Feed Production, Ethiopia: The Case of Participatory Approach

Abstract

Sub-Saharan livestock production and productivity are very low due to poor quality and inadequate quantity of available feed. Henceforth, livestock production can be improved through good management of natural grasslands and introduction of improved fodder species with the supply of fertilizer and water to maintain high productivity. Pre-extension demonstration of grazing land improvement technologies were conducted in 2017/18 in six Agricultural growth program (AGP II) districts, namely, Boneya Boshe, Wayu Tuka, Guto Gida and Diga from East Wollega and Horro and Guduru districts from Horro Guduru Wallega zone to evaluate, select and popularize farmers’ preferred technologies based on their selection criteria and to create awareness on the importance of the approved technologies. One representative potential peasant association (PA) was selected purposively from each district based on grazing land and livestock population potential and accessibility for field monitoring and visit. Farmers’ selection was done based on interests of farmers in trial management, willingness and ownership of sufficient grazing land to accommodate the trials and gender equality. In each PA, one farmer’s extension research group (FREG) comprising 16 farmers were established to evaluate and select the technologies. Training was given to farmers, DAs and experts. Three treatments/technologies, namely, T1 = Control (farmer practice), T2 = 150 kg/ha urea and T3 = 110 kg/ha urea and 100 kg /ha NPS were evaluated and demonstrated on 4 farmers’ fields on plot size of 400 m² in each study districts. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and qualitative narrations. The agronomic result showed that T3 performed better in average herbage dry matter yield (12.44 t/ha) followed by T2 (8.71 t/ha) and T1 which gave lower yield (5.5 t/ha). The two treatments/technologies (T3 and T2) had a yield advantage of 55.76 % and 36.83 %, respectively, over the control across the study districts. The overall technology preference score of all districts showed that T 3 (110 kg/ha urea and 100 kg /ha NPS) and T 2 (150 kg/ha urea) were the most preferred technologies and ranked as first and second, respectively, by participants because of high biomass, fast growth habit, early maturing for harvesting, plant height, leafiness and species diversity at all districts. Therefore, the combination of Urea and NPS fertilizer at a rate of 110 kg and 100 kg/ha, respectively, was recommended to be promoted in large scale in the study areas and other places with similar agro-ecologies.

Keywords: Demonstration, Evaluation, Grazing land, Herbage dry matter, Technologies

DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/70-02

Publication date: January 31^st 2021