Sustainability of Improved Crop Varieties and Agricultural Practices: A Case Study in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Abstract

Technological change has been the major driving force for increasing agricultural productivity and promoting agriculture development in developing countries. To improve the agricultural productivity and farmers' livelihoods, several agricultural technologies (improved crop varieties and related agricultural practices) were introduced by various agencies to the farmers in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify these technologies, and evaluate their characteristics and sustainability. The data were collected from farmers, agricultural extension workers, and agricultural experts, through a series of focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and farm observations, selected through purposive and random sampling techniques. Results showed that extension systems, social networks, or research projects were the agencies that introduced the technologies to the farmers. Haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and early and mid-maturing maize (Zea mays L.), as well as agricultural practices like row-sowing, banding fertilizer application, intercropping, and traditional rainwater-harvesting, were found to be in continuous use by the farmers. In contrast, the use of extra-early-maturing maize, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.), as well as the use of related practices, including harvesting maize at physiological maturity, seed priming and fertilizer microdosing, were the technologies that were discontinued at the time of pursuing this study. Most of the continuing technologies had a high potential for reducing the vulnerability of the rain-fed agriculture to rainfall variability. Regardless of sources, the national extension system supported technologies that were integrated into the system only. Most of the discontinued technologies were found to be introduced by the research projects. These technologies were not brought into the attention of policy-makers for their integration into the extension system. The farmers also disliked a few of them for unfitting the existing socioeconomic setting. Whereas, the technologies that were introduced by the social networks were found to be widely used by the farmers, though they were not supported by the extension system. This is because most such technologies offer better yield and income. For instance, social networks have popularized haricot beans and hybrid maize because of their higher benefits to farmers. Farmers consider both socioeconomic and agroecological conditions for selecting and using technologies, whereas the extension system centers on existing agroecological conditions for recommending and supporting agricultural technologies. Consideration of both socioeconomic and agroecological settings would increase the prospect of a technology for sustainable adoption. Overall, rainfall variability, high price and poor access to improved seeds, farmers' poor economic conditions, and the inadequate linkage between extension systems, social networks and research projects, remain critical factors influen...

Effect of legume intercropping on N<sub>2</sub>O emissions and CH<sub>4</sub> uptake during maize production in the Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia

“…Cumulative N 2 O emissions from intercrops, with the mineral fertilization rate halved, were comparable to those in the fully fertilized maize mono-crop in 2016. This may be partly due to the 50 % reduction in mineral N application to intercrop treatments, as found by others (Tang et al, 2017). Another reason may be that a considerable proportion of the cumulative emissions in 2016 occurred before or shortly after 3-week intercrops were sown and was thus unaffected by growing legumes.…”

“…Intercropping maize with grain legumes is common in the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia and a central component in CSA (Arslan et al, 2015). In low-input systems common to the Great Rift Valley, the integration of legumes with cereals diversifies the produce and improves farm income and nutritional diversity for smallholder farmers (Sime and Aune, 2018). Moreover, by partially replacing energy-intensive synthetic N, intercropping with legumes may increase the sustainability of the agroecosystem as a whole (Carranca et al, 2015).…”

Analyzing Pathways of Nurturing Informal Seed Production into Formal Private Ventures for Sustainable Seed Delivery and Crop Productivity: Experiences from Ethiopia

“…Consequently, networks of low-input smallholders may, on average, produce a given quantity of crop at a lower cost than a single large high-input farm. High transaction costs associated with negotiating contracts and transporting goods, however, often inhibit smallholders from benefiting from local, regional, and national commercialization [41]. One response is for smallholders to organize into marketing cooperatives to reduce transaction costs and increase competitiveness at the production stage of crop value chains.…”

Usage and Impacts of Technologies and Management Practices in Ethiopian Smallholder Maize Production

“…A similar result was documented in [19] indicating that about 88% of maize-producing households in Ethiopia combined fertilizer and improved varieties, the highest share in SSA followed by Malawi (82%). Even though the full potential of the practices affecting maize yield depends on their optimal use (for example, the amount of fertilizer applied, timing, spacing [51]), the high use percentage reflects the increasing use of management packages. Table 7 presents actual average maize yield and labor productivity for the eight management packages, and for the 15% that did not adopt fertilizer nor improved varieties.…”