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Conservation agriculture is claimed to be one of the solutions for the problems of poor agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan countries. The impact of conservation agriculture depends on environmental factors such as slope, vegetation, soil type, rain fall pattern and intended crops. This study was conducted from 2013 to 2014 with the objective...
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Soils under no-till (NT) in Brazil have been aimlessly chiseled mainly due to compaction symptoms. The impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) of these operations as well as the effects of more sustainable alternatives are still highly unknown. We hypothesized that the use of plants with deep root systems in the crop rotation could be a suitable alter...
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... In the predominantly maize-growing region, trials were in the Gudeya-Billa District of the Oromia region. Gudeya-Billa lies in the mid-altitude highland with a high potential for maize production [32]. Gudeya-Billa is characterised by a bimodal rainy season with a mean annual rainfall of 1300 mm. ...
... The average minimum and maximum temperatures are 13.3 and 29.9 °C [33]. The predominant soils in the region are well-drained Alfisols (Udalf) with a bulk density of 1.12 g cm 3 , pH 5.6, soil organic carbon (SOC) of 14 g kg −1 and 48% clay content [25,32]. ...
Smallholder maize and wheat production systems are characterized by high drudgery. On-farm trials were run for three seasons in Ethiopia. The study assessed the effect of 2 WT direct seeding and growing season on (1) soil quality, and (2) maize and wheat productivity, energy and protein gains, and gross margins, on smallholder farms in Ethiopia. For the wheat crop, the effect of different soil types and agroecological conditions on productivity was assessed. The treatments in paired plots were (i) conventional ploughing practice and (ii) no-till (NT). Soil properties, crop yield, nutrition gains and gross margins were determined. No-till improved soil properties in the short term. No-till produced 1210-1559 kg ha −1 grain, 18-29 GJ ha −1 energy and 121-194 kg ha −1 proteins, and generated 358-385 US$ ha −1 more than the conventional practice in the maize system. In the wheat system, no-till treatment had 341-1107 kg ha −1 grain, 5-16 GJ ha −1 energy and 43-137 kg ha −1 proteins, and generated 230-453 US$ ha −1 more than conventional practice. No-till can be more productive and profitable in the Ethiopian maize and wheat-based cropping systems.
... In general, after 4 years of irrigated CA experiments, the soils from CA plots did not disperse immediately after immersion into pure water compared to the soils of conventional tillage [24] probably due to the accumulation of organic matter and bondage of soil particles together [119][120][121][122] by organic glue or carbon content ( Figure 6). In Bako's experimental study, a significant improvement in soil nutrients, such as total nitrogen (17%), soil organic carbon (7%), available phosphorous (8%), and soil pH (2%) were reported by [123]. In southern Ethiopia on the Derashe experimental site, the increments so far reported were 9% (Potassium), 22% (calcium), 10% (cation exchange capacity), 11% (soil organic carbon), 4% (soil pH), and 11% (soil organic matter) by Lejissa [124] from short-term CA practice (two years). ...
Several technologies have been provided to farmers to increase production under the rain-fed systems of Ethiopia. However, much attention has been focused on drought emergency relief and associated interventions. Conservation agriculture (CA), among others, has been recently encouraged as part of the sustainable intensification technology in the Ethiopian smallholder farming systems. However, CA research in Ethiopia has traditionally stayed for a long time on a station-based research approach over a controlled environment followed by demonstration plots conducted , in most cases, for a short period. Considering large natural agro-hydro-ecological diversifi-cations and the socioeconomic conditions of smallholder farmers, it is possible to envisage that various versions of CA may be adopted based on different climate and topographic settings. Hence it entails various forms of adoption research depending on the biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. Therefore, adopting CA technology is not as simple as adopting the technology or its components , as adoption is not only based on benefits but is also a process of inculcating CA into the human and social elements (culture, gender, social, and beliefs), and integrating CA within the farming systems (e.g., crop type, rotations, and agronomic management), and production systems (e.g., irrigated, rainfed, and livestock). In this regard, a review of CA technology usage provides an important perspective to explore the findings and the functionality of current CA research systems regarding the nature of its development, promotion, and dissemination in Ethiopia. This manuscript explores how CA is viewed by local farmers and associated researchers using the results from station to farmer-designed on-farm studies in the Ethiopian highlands, including irrigated and rain-fed production systems. This review paper will be crucially important for researchers and policy-makers to develop conservation agriculture as one strategic issue for future sustainable irrigation and natural resource conservation.
