Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach

Adapting fertilizer use is crucial if smallholder agroecosystems are to attain the sustainable development goals of zero hunger and agroecosystem resilience. Poor soil health and nutrient variability characterize the smallholder farming systems. However, the current research at the field scale does...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Desta, G., Legesse, G., Agegnehu, G., Tigabie, A., Nagaraji, S., Gashaw, T., Degefu, T., Ayalew, B., Addis, A., Getachew, T., Managido, D., Bazie, Z., Abathun, T., Abera, A., Dache, A., Adissie, S., Sebnie, W., Feyisa, T., Yakob, G., Amede, T., Rooyen, A. Van, Jat, M.L., Harawa, R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Frontiers Media 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139471
_version_ 1855528782935359488
author Desta, G.
Legesse, G.
Agegnehu, G.
Tigabie, A.
Nagaraji, S.
Gashaw, T.
Degefu, T.
Ayalew, B.
Addis, A.
Getachew, T.
Managido, D.
Bazie, Z.
Abathun, T.
Abera, A.
Dache, A.
Adissie, S.
Sebnie, W.
Feyisa, T.
Yakob, G.
Amede, T.
Rooyen, A. Van
Jat, M.L.
Harawa, R.
author_browse Abathun, T.
Abera, A.
Addis, A.
Adissie, S.
Agegnehu, G.
Amede, T.
Ayalew, B.
Bazie, Z.
Dache, A.
Degefu, T.
Desta, G.
Feyisa, T.
Gashaw, T.
Getachew, T.
Harawa, R.
Jat, M.L.
Legesse, G.
Managido, D.
Nagaraji, S.
Rooyen, A. Van
Sebnie, W.
Tigabie, A.
Yakob, G.
author_facet Desta, G.
Legesse, G.
Agegnehu, G.
Tigabie, A.
Nagaraji, S.
Gashaw, T.
Degefu, T.
Ayalew, B.
Addis, A.
Getachew, T.
Managido, D.
Bazie, Z.
Abathun, T.
Abera, A.
Dache, A.
Adissie, S.
Sebnie, W.
Feyisa, T.
Yakob, G.
Amede, T.
Rooyen, A. Van
Jat, M.L.
Harawa, R.
author_sort Desta, G.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Adapting fertilizer use is crucial if smallholder agroecosystems are to attain the sustainable development goals of zero hunger and agroecosystem resilience. Poor soil health and nutrient variability characterize the smallholder farming systems. However, the current research at the field scale does not account for nutrient variability across landscape positions, posing significant challenges for targeted nutrient management interventions. The purpose of this research was to create a demand-driven and co-development approach for diagnosing farmer nutrient management practices and determining landscape-specific (hillslope, mid-slope, and foot slope) fertilizer applications for teff and wheat.A landscape segmentation approach was aimed to address gaps in farm-scale nutrient management research as well as the limitations of blanket recommendations to meet local nutrient requirements. This approach incorporates the concept of interconnected socio-technical systems as well as the concepts and procedures of co-development. A smart mobile app was used by extension agents to generate crop-specific decision rules at the landscape scale and forward the specific fertilizer applications to target farmers through SMS messages or print formats.The findings reveal that farmers apply more fertilizer to hillslopes and less to mid- and foot slopes. However, landscape-specific fertilizer application guided by crop-specific decision rules via mobile applications resulted in much higher yield improvements, 23% and 56% at foot slopes and 21% and 6.5% at mid slopes for wheat and teff, respectively. The optimized net benefit per hectare increase over the current extension recommendation was $176 and $333 at foot slopes and $159 and $64 at mid slopes for wheat and teff (average of $90 and $107 for wheat and teff), respectively. The results of the net benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) demonstrated that applying landscape-targeted fertilizer resulted in an optimum return on investment ($10.0 net profit per $1.0 investment) while also enhancing nutrient use efficiency across the three landscape positions. Farmers are now cognizant of the need to reduce fertilizer rates on hillslopes while increasing them on parcels at mid- and foot-slope landscapes, which have higher responses and profits. As a result, applying digital advisory to optimize landscape-targeted fertilizer management gives agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits. The outcomes results of the innovation also contribute to overcoming site-specific yield gaps and low nutrient use efficiency, they have the potential to be scaled if complementing innovations and scaling factors are integrated.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace139471
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Frontiers Media
publisherStr Frontiers Media
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1394712025-12-08T10:29:22Z Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach Desta, G. Legesse, G. Agegnehu, G. Tigabie, A. Nagaraji, S. Gashaw, T. Degefu, T. Ayalew, B. Addis, A. Getachew, T. Managido, D. Bazie, Z. Abathun, T. Abera, A. Dache, A. Adissie, S. Sebnie, W. Feyisa, T. Yakob, G. Amede, T. Rooyen, A. Van Jat, M.L. Harawa, R. farming systems wheat agricultural extension landscape Adapting fertilizer use is crucial if smallholder agroecosystems are to attain the sustainable development goals of zero hunger and agroecosystem resilience. Poor soil health and nutrient variability characterize the smallholder farming systems. However, the current research at the field scale does not account for nutrient variability across landscape positions, posing significant challenges for targeted nutrient management interventions. The purpose of this research was to create a demand-driven and co-development approach for diagnosing farmer nutrient management practices and determining landscape-specific (hillslope, mid-slope, and foot slope) fertilizer applications for teff and wheat.A landscape segmentation approach was aimed to address gaps in farm-scale nutrient management research as well as the limitations of blanket recommendations to meet local nutrient requirements. This approach incorporates the concept of interconnected socio-technical systems as well as the concepts and procedures of co-development. A smart mobile app was used by extension agents to generate crop-specific decision rules at the landscape scale and forward the specific fertilizer applications to target farmers through SMS messages or print formats.The findings reveal that farmers apply more fertilizer to hillslopes and less to mid- and foot slopes. However, landscape-specific fertilizer application guided by crop-specific decision rules via mobile applications resulted in much higher yield improvements, 23% and 56% at foot slopes and 21% and 6.5% at mid slopes for wheat and teff, respectively. The optimized net benefit per hectare increase over the current extension recommendation was $176 and $333 at foot slopes and $159 and $64 at mid slopes for wheat and teff (average of $90 and $107 for wheat and teff), respectively. The results of the net benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) demonstrated that applying landscape-targeted fertilizer resulted in an optimum return on investment ($10.0 net profit per $1.0 investment) while also enhancing nutrient use efficiency across the three landscape positions. Farmers are now cognizant of the need to reduce fertilizer rates on hillslopes while increasing them on parcels at mid- and foot-slope landscapes, which have higher responses and profits. As a result, applying digital advisory to optimize landscape-targeted fertilizer management gives agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits. The outcomes results of the innovation also contribute to overcoming site-specific yield gaps and low nutrient use efficiency, they have the potential to be scaled if complementing innovations and scaling factors are integrated. 2023-10-30 2024-02-16T11:54:44Z 2024-02-16T11:54:44Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139471 en Open Access Frontiers Media Desta, G., Legesse, G., Agegnehu, G., Tigabie, A., Nagaraji, S., Gashaw, T., Degefu, T., Ayalew, B., Addis, A., Getachew, T., Managido, D., Bazie, Z., Abathun, T., Abera, A., Dache, A., Adissie, S., Sebnie, W., Feyisa, T., Yakob, G., Amede, T., Rooyen, A. Van, Jat, M.L. and Harawa, R. 2023. Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 7:1241850.
spellingShingle farming systems
wheat
agricultural extension
landscape
Desta, G.
Legesse, G.
Agegnehu, G.
Tigabie, A.
Nagaraji, S.
Gashaw, T.
Degefu, T.
Ayalew, B.
Addis, A.
Getachew, T.
Managido, D.
Bazie, Z.
Abathun, T.
Abera, A.
Dache, A.
Adissie, S.
Sebnie, W.
Feyisa, T.
Yakob, G.
Amede, T.
Rooyen, A. Van
Jat, M.L.
Harawa, R.
Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
title Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
title_full Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
title_fullStr Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
title_full_unstemmed Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
title_short Landscape-based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of Ethiopia: Farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
title_sort landscape based nutrient application in wheat and teff mixed farming systems of ethiopia farmer and extension agent demand driven approach
topic farming systems
wheat
agricultural extension
landscape
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139471
work_keys_str_mv AT destag landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT legesseg landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT agegnehug landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT tigabiea landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT nagarajis landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT gashawt landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT degefut landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT ayalewb landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT addisa landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT getachewt landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT managidod landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT baziez landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT abathunt landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT aberaa landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT dachea landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT adissies landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT sebniew landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT feyisat landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT yakobg landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT amedet landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT rooyenavan landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT jatml landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach
AT harawar landscapebasednutrientapplicationinwheatandteffmixedfarmingsystemsofethiopiafarmerandextensionagentdemanddrivenapproach