Research Articles Scaling Optimized Fertilizer Use for Sustainable Maize Farming
A field day in Abeshge District, Ethiopia, highlighted the effectiveness of Site-Specific Fertilizer Recommendations (SSFR) for improved maize production. Farmers in the region, traditionally relying on blanket fertilizer applications, were impressed by the performance of maize plots treated with SSFR.
By: Mohammed Ebrahim, Amsalu Tilaye, Tewodros Mesfin and Kalkidan Ayele
The event, organized under the Ukama Ustawi Initiative in Ethiopia, showcased the benefits of SSFR in enhancing maize yields and improving soil health. Participants - including farmers, development agents, researchers, and government officials - observed first hand the positive impact of SSFR on crop productivity. The success of the field day is expected to encourage more farmers in the Abeshge District to adopt SSFR for the upcoming season to increase production, soil health and livelihoods.
Maize is a key staple food crop in Ethiopia. Despite its significance, maize production faces numerous challenges, including improper input application, disease, pests and climate variability. As a result, maize productivity remains below global averages, revealing a substantial yield gap between current and potential productivity. Maize, being a heavy feeder crop, requires considerable amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to achieve higher productivity. However, the indiscriminate use of fertilizers (without taking into account soil type, climate, and agroecology) has led to a nutrient imbalance, soil acidification, and higher production costs. In response to these challenges, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT - through the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) initiative - is actively supporting the transition from the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional blanket fertilizer application towards site-specific fertilizer recommendations. This approach aims to optimize fertilizer use, maximize economic benefit, and boost the productivity of major cereal crops such as maize, sorghum, wheat, and tef.
The Ukama Ustawi Initiative (UU) - Diversification in East and Southern Africa, aims to scale promising technologies and advisories in the maize belt areas of Ethiopia. To this end, UU has demonstrated pilot scaling of EiA’s Site-Specific Fertilizer Recommendation for maize production in Abeshge district, Gurage Zone. Farmers have traditionally applied inorganic fertilizers in the Abeshge district of the Gurage zone in Central Ethiopia, with usage rates steadily increasing over the years. On average, local farmers use 600 kilograms of fertilizer per hectare of maize, with some exceeding 800 kilograms. This excessive application has reduced soil productivity and, in some cases, has totally damaged the land's health. Moreover, the district extension services lack scientifically based site-, season- and context-specific fertilizer recommendations to guide farmers toward optimized and sustainable fertilizer use. As a result, farmers are increasingly concerned not only about maize productivity but also about deteriorating soil health. The fertilizer advisory is tailored to the specific kebeles of the district and the production season. Accordingly, the average SSFR for the pilot villages (kebeles) of Chisa and Bido Tadale was 180 kg of NPS and 125 kg of UREA. A total of 110 farmers implemented the SSFR on their 97 hectares of maize plots.
Maize field status
Considering the key role agricultural extension services play in promoting improved fertilizer technologies and educating farmers on proper fertilizer management to safeguard crop productivity and soil quality, training was provided to four district experts and three development agents on the SSFR. During the training session, Mulat Desalegn - Head of the Abeshge District Agricultural Office - shared his insights: “For the past decade, our main concern has been how to increase productivity. However, in the quest for higher yields, farmers have been using increasing amounts of fertilizer each year, which has led to serious land degradation problems. Now is the time for farmers to sustain soil health, save their land, and pass it on to future generations. In this respect, the SSFR is a game changer, greatly benefiting farmers to apply optimal fertilizer amounts and harvest good crop yields while maintaining the environmental benefits of improved soil health and land productivity. Protecting the land today ensures a healthy legacy for the future”.
On October 3, 2024, a field day was held in Chisa Kebele, Abeshge Woreda, to showcase the benefits of SSFR in maize-based farming systems. Following delivery of the advisory to 110 farmers with a total of 97 hectares of maize plots, participants visited SSFR demonstration plots and compared its performance to production under blanket recommendations.
The event drew 73 attendees from in and around the kebeles, including farmers (50), development agents (10), researcher and NGO coordinators (3), as well as government agriculture experts and officials (10). The goal was to encourage farmers to adopt SSFR for the upcoming season.
Asres Amare’s 1ha maize field was seen as an excellent case where due to the tailored site-specific fertilizer rate recommendations she could move from a blanket rate of 600 kg of urea and NPS fertilizer to applying 180 kg of NPS and 125 kg of urea. This targeted approach reduced her fertilizer usage by nearly 300 kg, translating to a significant cost savings of approximately 10,500 Ethiopian Birr per hectare. Despite the reduced fertilizer input, Asres anticipates her harvest to match or even surpass the previous yield. This remarkable outcome is primarily attributed to the site-specific fertilizer rates, which take into account seasonal moisture availability to optimize nutrient use efficiency.
During the visit, participants were requested to raise green, yellow, and red cards to indicate a high difference, slight difference, or no difference comparing maize crop fields applying SSFR with that of blanket recommendation. Accordingly, 39 farmers showed green, 6 farmers showed yellow, and only 5 farmers raised a red card; all the 20 experts raised green cards.
Maize filed with NextGen agro-advisory during the field day at Chisa Kebels.
The Abeshge District Office Head and the Agriculture Head highlight that the pilot scaling field has provided answers to their critical concern regarding optimizing farmers' excessive fertilizer application. The office heads promised to scale up SSFR implementation in 10 more kebeles for the next season, with technical support from the Alliance. From their visit, the officials identified three significant benefits: transferring fertile and healthy soil to future generations, reducing unnecessary expenditure on fertilizer, and achieving promising yields with optimal fertilizer input. Despite challenges in current piloting kebeles, they recommend expanding SSFR throughout their district. Mr. Fikru Argaw - the Ethiopia Food Systems Resilience Project Representative - emphasized the multiple benefits of site-specific optimal fertilizer application for soil health such as keeping the favorable conditions for soil microorganisms, preventing the degradation of groundwater quality, and improving sustainable soil fertility and health.
The visiting farmers were impressed by the superior performance of the SSFR maize plot compared to the fields fertilized with blanket applications. Gebiru Regasa and Abawe Muhammed are two farmers who emphasized how the field day provided them with valuable insights into optimizing fertilizer rates and adopting evidence-based practices for maximizing yield, improving soil health and reducing fertilizer costs.
Field visit on site specific fertilizer recommendation maize field at chisa kebele, Abeshge district.
The field day demonstrated the potential of evidence-based agricultural practices to boost maize yields and improve soil health in the district, as participants expressed keen interest in scaling up the recommended fertilizer application.
Acknowledgment
The field day was organized by Abeshge agriculture office and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT through funding made available from Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi) -MFAT. We thank the Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) initiative for designing a site-specific and season-smart agro-advisories to scale up in wheat, maize, sorghum and teff dominant areas.
