Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol

Farmer participatory tillage trials were conducted in a highland Vertisol area of Ethiopia during the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons. This participatory initiative clearly demonstrated that incorporating farmers’ knowledge, ideas and preferences could improve the wheat production package. A traditio...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Astatke, A., Jabbar, M.A., Tanner, D.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2003
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/3978
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author Astatke, A.
Jabbar, M.A.
Tanner, D.
author_browse Astatke, A.
Jabbar, M.A.
Tanner, D.
author_facet Astatke, A.
Jabbar, M.A.
Tanner, D.
author_sort Astatke, A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Farmer participatory tillage trials were conducted in a highland Vertisol area of Ethiopia during the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons. This participatory initiative clearly demonstrated that incorporating farmers’ knowledge, ideas and preferences could improve the wheat production package. A traditional practice of Chefe Donsa farmers—applying ash from their homesteads to their fields to enable early-sown crops to withstand frost—led to the verification of the yield-enhancing effect of inorganic potassium fertilizer on wheat. Farmer adoption of a minimum tillage production system increased the gross margin of wheat production by US$ 132 per hectare—based on 1999 prices—relative to the traditional flat seedbed system. The minimum tillage system was characterized by a much lower level of soil manipulation relative to the traditional flat seedbed system, and, as a consequence, markedly reduced the total human labor and draft oxen requirements for wheat production. Thus, the minimum tillage system could be an effective intervention for soil conservation due to early-season vegetative cover of the soil surface. Also, the early crop harvest associated with the minimum tillage system was highly beneficial for small-holder farmers—since the early harvest coincided with the cyclical period of severe household food deficits and high grain prices in local markets.
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spelling CGSpace39782024-05-01T08:17:26Z Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol Astatke, A. Jabbar, M.A. Tanner, D. tillage Farmer participatory tillage trials were conducted in a highland Vertisol area of Ethiopia during the 1999 and 2000 cropping seasons. This participatory initiative clearly demonstrated that incorporating farmers’ knowledge, ideas and preferences could improve the wheat production package. A traditional practice of Chefe Donsa farmers—applying ash from their homesteads to their fields to enable early-sown crops to withstand frost—led to the verification of the yield-enhancing effect of inorganic potassium fertilizer on wheat. Farmer adoption of a minimum tillage production system increased the gross margin of wheat production by US$ 132 per hectare—based on 1999 prices—relative to the traditional flat seedbed system. The minimum tillage system was characterized by a much lower level of soil manipulation relative to the traditional flat seedbed system, and, as a consequence, markedly reduced the total human labor and draft oxen requirements for wheat production. Thus, the minimum tillage system could be an effective intervention for soil conservation due to early-season vegetative cover of the soil surface. Also, the early crop harvest associated with the minimum tillage system was highly beneficial for small-holder farmers—since the early harvest coincided with the cyclical period of severe household food deficits and high grain prices in local markets. 2003-05 2011-06-25T08:18:40Z 2011-06-25T08:18:40Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/3978 en Limited Access Elsevier Astatke, A., Jabbar, M. and Tanner, D. 2003. Participatory conservation tillage research: an experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 95(2-3):401-415.
spellingShingle tillage
Astatke, A.
Jabbar, M.A.
Tanner, D.
Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol
title Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol
title_full Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol
title_fullStr Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol
title_full_unstemmed Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol
title_short Participatory conservation tillage research: An experience with minimum tillage on an Ethiopian highland Vertisol
title_sort participatory conservation tillage research an experience with minimum tillage on an ethiopian highland vertisol
topic tillage
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/3978
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AT jabbarma participatoryconservationtillageresearchanexperiencewithminimumtillageonanethiopianhighlandvertisol
AT tannerd participatoryconservationtillageresearchanexperiencewithminimumtillageonanethiopianhighlandvertisol