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Integrated nutrient management and crop rotation are important farming practices, which enhance the nutrient use efficiency of crops and reduce the incidence of diseases and insect pests. The study was carried out to address the gap in using integrated nutrient management in crop rotation systems for soil qualities and crop yield improvement. That was done by adjusting the balance ratio of dry bio-slurry and nitrogen fertilizers. The experiment was containing ten levels; Control (0,0), recommended nitrogen, 50% dry-bio slurry, 100% dry-bio slurry, 75% dry-bio slurry, 75% dry-bio slurry+25% recommended nitrogen, 50% dry-bio slurry+50% recommended nitrogen, 25% dry-bio slurry+75% recommended nitrogen, 100% dry-bio slurry + 25% recommended nitrogen and 100% dry-bio slurry + 50% recommended nitrogen that was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications for three years. The data on soil properties and yield components of potatoes and wheat were collected and analyzed using statistical analysis system software 9.4. An application of dry bio-slurry with nitrogen fertilizer was significantly affected both crop yield and soil properties in the rotation system. The application of 25% dry bio-slurry with 75% recommended nitrogen gave the highest tuber yield of potato (27.6 tha -1 ) as compared to control. Similarly, using 100% and 75% sole dry bio-slurry resulted in the highest grain yield (3.85 tha -1 ) and above-ground biomass (9.59 tha -1 ) of wheat. The combination of 25% dry bio-slurry with 75% recommended nitrogen scored the highest net benefit (2889.2 US$) with an acceptable marginal return (4463.3%) via by improving crops yield in the system. So, an application of 25% dry bio-slurry with 75% recommended nitrogen could be promoted for yield-soil improvement in the study area and similar agroecology.

Soil acidity is a global problem that limits crop production worldwide. It is the major crop yield-limiting factor in Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted in the Guagusa Shikudad district in western Amhara during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons to improve the productivity of faba bean through integrated vermicompost and lime applications. The spacing between rows and plants was 40 and 10 cm, respectively and the gross plot size was 8.4 m². The treatments were zero, half and full lime factorially combined with 0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost. Vermicompost and lime were applied separately in rows at planting. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Before planting, a composite surface soil sample at 0–20 cm depth and after harvest from each plot was collected for the determination of soil chemical properties. The soil analysis result indicated that vermicompost and lime significantly increased soil pH and decreased exchangeable acidity. The result also revealed vermicompost and lime significantly (p < 0.001) increased faba bean grain and biomass yield. The maximum faba bean grain yield (2.41 t ha ⁻ ¹) was recorded from the applied 10 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost and full dose of lime (5.6 t ha ⁻ ¹), while the maximum faba bean biomass (5.90 t ha ⁻ ¹) was recorded from the treatment of 15 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost and full dose of lime applied. The minimum grain and biomass yield of faba bean was recorded from the control (vermicompost and lime not applied). Application of 5 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost and a full dose of lime gave an optimum and economical faba bean grain yield. Application of integrated organic and inorganic fertilizers with lime is suggested for the improvement of faba bean grain yield by restoring non-responsive, strongly acidic agricultural soils in the study area and similar agroecology.

Expansion of Acacia decurrens plantation on the acidic highlands of Awi zone, Ethiopia, and its economic benefit was undertaken in Fagita-Lekoma district to assess major motives of farmers behind the expansion of A. decurrens plantation. Cost-benefit analysis, benefit-cost ratio, net present value, and internal rate of return (IRR) were used to compare benefits. A. decurrens plantation was introduced as a public forest plantation by government and expanded as private plantation for charcoal making in which experts and traders were eye openers for the innovation. High economic benefit, source of firewood and fencing, improving soil fertility and decreasing run-off, tolerance to natural hazards compared to annual crops, and sources of employment were found to be the major motives behind the expansion of A. decurrens plantation. Over 5-year period, crop production generated a net present value of 5,430.54 Ethiopian Birr/ha with benefit-cost ratio of 1.09 while A. decurrens plantation generated a net present value of 26,682.68 with benefit-cost ratio of 1.53 and IRR of 58%. Farmers are fetching attractive financial benefits from A. decurrens plantation that indicates plantation is a more attractive business than crop production. Further study on the soil properties and environmental aspects of A. decurrens plantation, marketing, and value chain is recommended.

Land degradation and the associated soil acidity are critical challenge for crop production in Ethiopian highlands. Since liming is expensive, farmers have developed an alternative agroforestry system by integrating Acacia decurrens into their landscapes. The expansion rate of this system was assessed over the last three decades. The effects of the agroforestry system and charcoal-making kiln sites on soil properties were investigated for over five years compared to the adjacent croplands. Soil samples were collected from A. decurrens plantations, kiln sites, and adjacent croplands at 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil depths. In the last 30 years, the plantation and croplands increased by 8% and 17.5%, respectively, compared to the land-use system in 1993, mainly at the expense of grassland and abandoned land. The main incentive for expansion of A. decurrens plantations was farmers’ income generated from charcoal making. This intervention also improved soil properties with a significantly positive effect on soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and available Bray phosphorus (Bray-P) compared to the adjacent croplands. Results revealed that the SOC content in year 2 increased significantly (1.3–1.7 times) under A. decurrens plantation compared to adjacent crop fields. Moreover, soil pH increased by one unit on charcoal-making fields, which was equivalent to application of 4–5 t lime ha−1, while SOC increased by ~ 10% on kiln sites compared to the control. Charcoal making kiln spots increased available soil phosphorus by 112% compared to the adjacent non-kiln sites. The Bray- P was strongly and significantly (P < 0.05) correlated (r = 0.75) with soil pH. We conclude that integrating A. decurrens-based agroforestry practices would improve livelihoods by restoring degraded lands, improving income generation and carbon sequestration.

Crops respond differently to soil nutrients because of climate, soil, and management. This study aimed to determine the most important nutrients for tef production. The experiment was conducted over two production seasons. All (NPKSZnB), All-B, All-Zn, All-S, All-K, All-P, All-N, RNP, RNP+Sx1, and no fertilizer treatments were applied. The pre-planning soil status of the study sites, available P concentrations during the rainy season are between 5.1 and 8.9 mg kg -1 , however, 21.4 mg kg -1 of available P is observed during irrigation. In rain-fed production systems, the mean soil N concentrations are 0.12% in nitisols and 0.15% in vertosols, whereas in irrigation production systems, it is 0.14% in nitiosols. The grain yield significantly (p ≤ 0.01) varied with the omission of nutrients during the production season. However, there was no significant (p<0.05) decrease in yield due to the omission of KSZnB nutrients. The lowest mean grain yields of 342 kg ha -1 (nitisols) and 491 kg ha -1 (vertosols) were obtained from the no fertilizer treatment. Nitrogen omission decreased yields by 49 and 65% in nitisols and vertosols under the rainy season, respectively, whereas a 19% yield decrease was also observed in the irrigation season. A 10% yield decrease was observed from the P omitted treatment in the rainy season. Thus, N is the primary limiting nutrient to yield in both production seasons, while P is also a yield-limiting nutrient in nitisols. Thus, the government should import the right kind of fertilizer to boost crop productivity in Ethiopia. The required plant nutrients should be periodically monitored in farming systems.

Teff is the only cultivated cereal crop from the genus Eragrostis and it is the major staple food of Ethiopians. In Ethiopia, the quality of teff and its market price are primarily determined by its grain color. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil physicochemical characteristics across multiple locations in the two main teff growing regions of Amhara and Oromia states in Ethiopia on teff grain color and nutritional quality of a single variety. Grain and soil samples were collected from 24 field sites cultivated with the popular teff variety ‘Quncho’ (DZ-Cr-387/RIL-355). The teff grain samples collected from the 24 locations were evaluated for grain color, proximate composition, amino acid composition, and grain mineral concentration and the soil samples were analyzed for their physicochemical properties. Sample location means were considered different p < 0.05. Teff grain color indices of hue (H), saturation (S), and brightness (V), grain proximate composition, amino acid composition, and mineral concentration differed among locations (p < 0.05). There were significant negative correlations between grain S color value and soil pH, SOC, Ca, Mg, S, and Na. Soils with greater pH, SOC, Ca, Mg, and S generally had lower S values and thus, whiter color teff grains. There were considerable variations in the measured parameters for soil and teff grain physicochemical properties. The results indicated an opportunity for management interventions necessary to obtain uniformity in grain color and chemical composition for the same variety of teff grown in the two major regions in Ethiopia.

Soil acidity is a global problem that limits crop production worldwide. It is the major crop yield-limiting factor in Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted in the Guagusa Shikudad district in western Amhara during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons to improve the productivity of faba bean through integrated vermicompost and lime applications. The spacing between rows and plants was 40 and 10 cm, respectively and the gross plot size was 8.4 m². The treatments were zero, half and full lime factorially combined with 0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha ⻠¹ vermicompost. Vermicompost and lime were applied separately in rows at planting. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Before planting, a composite surface soil sample at 0-20 cm depth and after harvest from each plot was collected for the determination of soil chemical properties. The soil analysis result indicated that vermicompost and lime significantly increased soil pH and decreased exchangeable acidity. The result also revealed vermicompost and lime significantly (p < 0.001) increased faba bean grain and biomass yield. The maximum faba bean grain yield (2.41 t ha ⻠¹) was recorded from the applied 10 t ha ⻠¹ vermicompost and full dose of lime (5.6 t ha ⻠¹), while the maximum faba bean biomass (5.90 t ha ⻠¹) was recorded from the treatment of 15 t ha ⻠¹ vermicompost and full dose of lime applied. The minimum grain and biomass yield of faba bean was recorded from the control (vermicompost and lime not applied). Application of 5 t ha ⻠¹ vermicompost and a full dose of lime gave an optimum and economical faba bean grain yield. Application of integrated organic and inorganic fertilizers with lime is suggested for the improvement of faba bean grain yield by restoring non-responsive, strongly acidic agricultural soils in the study area and similar agroecology.

Crops respond differently to soil nutrients because of climate, soil, and management. This study aimed to determine the most important nutrients for tef production. The experiment was conducted over two production seasons. All (NPKSZnB), All-B, All-Zn, All-S, All-K, All-P, All-N, RNP, RNP+Sx1, and no fertilizer treatments were applied. The pre-planning soil status of the study sites, available P concentrations during the rainy season are between 5.1 and 8.9 mg kg.sup.-1, however, 21.4 mg kg.sup.-1 of available P is observed during irrigation. In rain-fed production systems, the mean soil N concentrations are 0.12% in nitisols and 0.15% in vertosols, whereas in irrigation production systems, it is 0.14% in nitiosols. The grain yield significantly (p [less than or equal to] 0.01) varied with the omission of nutrients during the production season. However, there was no significant (p<0.05) decrease in yield due to the omission of KSZnB nutrients. The lowest mean grain yields of 342 kg ha.sup.-1 (nitisols) and 491 kg ha.sup.-1 (vertosols) were obtained from the no fertilizer treatment. Nitrogen omission decreased yields by 49 and 65% in nitisols and vertosols under the rainy season, respectively, whereas a 19% yield decrease was also observed in the irrigation season. A 10% yield decrease was observed from the P omitted treatment in the rainy season. Thus, N is the primary limiting nutrient to yield in both production seasons, while P is also a yield-limiting nutrient in nitisols. Thus, the government should import the right kind of fertilizer to boost crop productivity in Ethiopia. The required plant nutrients should be periodically monitored in farming systems.

Crops respond differently to soil nutrients because of climate, soil, and management. This study aimed to determine the most important nutrients for tef production. The experiment was conducted over two production seasons. All (NPKSZnB), All-B, All-Zn, All-S, All-K, All-P, All-N, RNP, RNP+Sx1, and no fertilizer treatments were applied. The pre-planning soil status of the study sites, available P concentrations during the rainy season are between 5.1 and 8.9 mg kg.sup.-1, however, 21.4 mg kg.sup.-1 of available P is observed during irrigation. In rain-fed production systems, the mean soil N concentrations are 0.12% in nitisols and 0.15% in vertosols, whereas in irrigation production systems, it is 0.14% in nitiosols. The grain yield significantly (p [less than or equal to] 0.01) varied with the omission of nutrients during the production season. However, there was no significant (p<0.05) decrease in yield due to the omission of KSZnB nutrients. The lowest mean grain yields of 342 kg ha.sup.-1 (nitisols) and 491 kg ha.sup.-1 (vertosols) were obtained from the no fertilizer treatment. Nitrogen omission decreased yields by 49 and 65% in nitisols and vertosols under the rainy season, respectively, whereas a 19% yield decrease was also observed in the irrigation season. A 10% yield decrease was observed from the P omitted treatment in the rainy season. Thus, N is the primary limiting nutrient to yield in both production seasons, while P is also a yield-limiting nutrient in nitisols. Thus, the government should import the right kind of fertilizer to boost crop productivity in Ethiopia. The required plant nutrients should be periodically monitored in farming systems.

Soil acidity is a global problem that limits crop production worldwide. It is the major crop yield-limiting factor in Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted in the Guagusa Shikudad district in western Amhara during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons to improve the productivity of faba bean through integrated vermicompost and lime applications. The spacing between rows and plants was 40 and 10 cm, respectively and the gross plot size was 8.4 m². The treatments were zero, half and full lime factorially combined with 0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost. Vermicompost and lime were applied separately in rows at planting. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Before planting, a composite surface soil sample at 0-20 cm depth and after harvest from each plot was collected for the determination of soil chemical properties. The soil analysis result indicated that vermicompost and lime significantly increased soil pH and decreased exchangeable acidity. The result also revealed vermicompost and lime significantly (p < 0.001) increased faba bean grain and biomass yield. The maximum faba bean grain yield (2.41 t ha ⁻ ¹) was recorded from the applied 10 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost and full dose of lime (5.6 t ha ⁻ ¹), while the maximum faba bean biomass (5.90 t ha ⁻ ¹) was recorded from the treatment of 15 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost and full dose of lime applied. The minimum grain and biomass yield of faba bean was recorded from the control (vermicompost and lime not applied). Application of 5 t ha ⁻ ¹ vermicompost and a full dose of lime gave an optimum and economical faba bean grain yield. Application of integrated organic and inorganic fertilizers with lime is suggested for the improvement of faba bean grain yield by restoring non-responsive, strongly acidic agricultural soils in the study area and similar agroecology.