Cluster Based Pre-scaling Up of Soil Test Fertilizer Recommendation Rate for Maize in Selected Districts of Buno Bedele Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia is grappling with overwhelming challenges to produce more food for a fast-growing population due to fragmented land with low soil fertility status owned by poor smallholder farmers who are unlikely to afford adequate input use. Given this, Bedele Agricultural Research Center with the support of AGP-II conducted; cluster based pre scaling up of soil test fertilizer recommendation rate for maize in selected districts of Buno Bedele zone, Southwester Ethiopia with the objectives of popularizing soil test fertilizer recommendation rate for maize through enhancing farmers’ knowledge and skill and strengthening stakeholders’ linkage in the study areas during 2019 cropping season. Bedele and Chora districts were selected purposively for being maize production potential in the zone and the conducted soil test calibration studies in which two clusters having 52 farmers (45 male and 7 female) were established in collaboration with different level agricultural stakeholders for the sustainability of technology transfer. The total land size used for cluster approach was 15 hectare in which the two maize varieties Shone and BH661 were planted with the site specific soil test based fertilizer application. For technology transfer; training and field day consisting 283 stakeholders (253 male and 30 female) were held. In general, the attained yield of Shone variety in Bedele was 7.3 tons ha^-1, whereas BH661 in Chora district was 5.2 tons ha^-1 that exceeds the attained average national maize yield 3.7 tons ha^-1 in 2019 cropping season. Therefore, scaling-up of the soil test fertilizer recommendation rate for maize should be carried out in the study areas and similar maize potential agro-ecological zones with strong stakeholders’ participation.