Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 5(1), pp. 50-59. January, 2017.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2016.047

Full Length Research

Evaluation and Demonstration of different Organic Matter for Soil fertility improvement in Shashemene and Kofele districts of West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

Kasahun Kitila, Ayub Jalde and Mekonnen Workina

Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center

Corresponding Author: Kasahun Kitila Hunde

Email: kiyafenu@gmail.com,  Tel: (+251)-912-855-363, P.O.Box: 545, Ziway, Ethiopia

Accepted 16 December 2016

The experiment was conducted in, Shashemene and Kofele districts of West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia, during 2013-2016 main cropping seasons. The aim was to select best organic matter for soil fertility improvement, to determine organic matter application cycle and to improve farmers’ understanding on use of organic matter for soil fertility management. Four treatments namely compost, farm yard manure, green manure and control were used to evaluate their performance on crop yield and soil fertility dynamics. The treatments were arranged in RCBD replicated three times having an area of 3x4m for each plot at both experimental sites. Compost and Animal manure were applied at the rate of 10ton/ha. For green manure, haricot bean was sown and incorporated to the soil before flowering. Bread wheat variety (Tritium aestivum L.) was sown at Halache FTC, in Shashemene district. On the other hand, food Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was sown at Garmama FTC, in Kofele district. It was identified that both wheat and barley yield showed an increasing trend from 2013-2014 but decreased gradually in 2015 & 2016. Use of compost also showed a better yield response in the second year at both sites.  This result showed that mineralization or nutrient availability from the Organic matter is higher in the second year (2014^th) and the contents reduced gradually in the 3^rd and 4^th years. Both Barley and Wheat yield were highly significantly different (p<0.05) in the first year, second and third year but yield was not significantly different in the fourth cropping time (2016). Therefore, Compost is more preferred to get more yields as compared with Animal manure and Green manure. In the absence of compost, it is advisable to use animal manure for soil fertility management. Both compost and animal manure should be applied again at the third cropping season.

Keywords: Organic fertilizer, yield, nutrient dynamics

How to cite this article: Kitila K, Jalde A, Workina M (2017). Evaluation and Demonstration of different Organic Matter for Soil fertility improvement in Shashemene and Kofele districts of West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 5(1): 50-59

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