Assessment of Indigenous Knowledge of Farmers on Soil Fertility Management: In Case of Bule Hora Woreda, West Guji Zone, Bule Kegna Kebele

Kamau Joseph Machar

doi:10.7176/jees/11-8-03

Abstract

The study was conducted in Bule Kenga kebele to assess the indigenous knowledge of community on soil fertility management. The main objective of this study was to assess the Indigenous knowledge of farmers on soil fertility management in the study area. The data was collected through household survey, interviews, questionnaire and observation. To do so, one samples kebeles were used. Accordingly, the majority of the respondents revealed that indigenous soil fertility management together with natural resource management was very significant, at community level. Local farmers know their own strength, forces knowledge, and technique to conserve soil even hilly lands. The major indigenous knowledge of soil fertility management in the study area was crop rotation, Organic fertilizer, Agroforestry, intercropping, and green manure. As a result the, majority of respondents (57%) reported that they had knowledge on the soil fertility management whereas 43% had no knowledge on soil fertility management. As the result shows, out of the total respondents, 60%, 26%, 9%, and 6 % of the respondents said role of indigenous knowledge of soil fertility improvement were good, better, best and bad, respectively. The traditional land management practices improved cropland productivity through addition of organic matter to the soil, adding nitrogen, maintaining organic matter and plant nutrients, and improving soil structures increasing water infiltration and reducing run off. Lastly local knowledge ought not to be ignored because it has own attribution to reduce the soil fertility problems which in line with the current study area DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-8-03 Publication date: August 31 st 2021

Highlights

Agriculture remains the backbone of the Ethiopia economy and so deserves critical attention
Livestock was the main economic based of the community of the areas, which of the most economic activities were livestock production and agricultural production (Bule hora Woreda agricultural and rural development, 20018). 3.1.3 Sampling size and technique Bule Kenga Kebele was selected from Bule Hora Woreda purposively based on their involvement in different crop production activities, presence of soil fertility problem such as deforestation, farming system and soil erosion
Based on the finding of the study, soil fertility depletion recognized in the Bule Kenga Kebele was mostly resulted from human activities that could accelerate soil erosion in the study area

Summary

Introduction

Agriculture remains the backbone of the Ethiopia economy and so deserves critical attention. Where the soil was fertile and where the society has the means to improve fertility good crop can be grown. In Ethiopia soil fertility problem was the results of human failures to understood and manage the soil .In the most part of agrarian country the soil fertility problem was the accumulation effects of deforestation, over grazing, burning of forests, clearing of ground cover (Taffa, 2002). Problem of soil fertility was perceived as the greatest threat to sustainability of agricultural production in the developing countries. According to Taffa (2002),the role of indigenous knowledge that contributes soil fertility management through practiced of physical ,biological and mechanical way have central and cuties role at grass root level .Indigenous knowledge plays a crucial role in conserving of natural resource ,forest, soil etc. According to Taffa (2002),the role of indigenous knowledge that contributes soil fertility management through practiced of physical ,biological and mechanical way have central and cuties role at grass root level .Indigenous knowledge plays a crucial role in conserving of natural resource ,forest, soil etc. through applying different kinds of soil fertility management practice

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion