Promotion of Improved Sorghum Technologies through Large-Scale Demonstration in Gololcha Woreda, Arsi Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Hailemariam Solomon,Fistum Miruts,Amare Seyoum,Chalachew Endalamaw

doi:10.4236/ajps.2021.123023

Hailemariam Solomon, Fistum Miruts + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2021.123023

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Abstract

The study was carried out to improve farmers’ awareness, enhance the adoption of full package sorghum production technologies. The large-scale demonstration was implemented at Gololcha woreda of Arsi zone for one year (2019/2020) using Melkam variety. The demonstration was implemented in three kebeles and a total of 100 hectares of land was covered by participating 117 household heads (farmers) out of which 12 of them were women-headed. In the demonstration farmers contributed a land size of 0.25 hectares (the minimum) and 2 hectares of land (maximum). Totally, from the demonstration 4030 quintals of sorghum were harvested with 42.3 quintals per hectare average productivity. The yield obtained by farmers practices was 18.23 q·ha-1 which is lower as compared to the average yield obtained by large scale demonstration. The technology gap (TG) was 15.70 q·ha-1 which indicated that technologies have not been adopted. Extension gap was 24.07 q·ha-1 and this result indicated that the extension approach should be more strengthened. It has been ascertained that “Melkam” variety is the best fitted variety and promotion of improved sorghum technologies via large scale demonstration has shown a considerable yield increment as compared to farmers practices. According to the farmers’ trait preference, Melkam variety was preferred by farmers because of its high yielding, consumption quality, early maturity, palatability, and drought-tolerant traits respectively. For sustainable production of improved sorghum technologies, the seed system should be taken into consideration to deliver the seed supply for the entire sorghum producers.

Highlights

Sorghum is the third most important cereal grain after Teff and Maize in Ethiopia both in area and production in Ethiopia
In the large-scale demonstration, a large number of men were participated compared with women farmers
The findings of the study showed that the improved variety of sorghum (Melkam) had shown better performance in grain yield compared with the farmer’s practice

Summary

Introduction

Sorghum is produced by more than 5 million holders and its production is estimated to be 51,692,525 quintals from 1,896,389 hectares of land. The average productivity of the crop is 27.26 quintals per hectare It covers 14.96% of the total area allocated to grains [1]. Sorghum in Ethiopia is grown in three major agro-ecologies. It is the major crop in the dry lowland environment which accounts for more than 60 percent of the cultivated land [1]. As it is grown in diverse environments, the productivity of sorghum is constrained by several biotic and abiotic factors. The major constraints in the dry lowlands are drought, striga, low yield, and insects [2]

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