Effect of conservation agriculture based cropping system on crop productivity in

northern Ethiopia.

Amanuel Gebru 1 Tesfay Araya2, Bram Govaerts 3

Adigrat Diocesan Catholic

Secretariat (ADCS)

ካቶሊካዊት ቤት ፅሕፈት ዓዲግራት

Tel: (034) 4-45 29 64 / 45 30 30

Fax: (034) 4-45 2829

PO Box 163, Adigrat, Tigray,

Ethiopia

CIMMYT®

International Maize and

Wheat Improvement

Center

Overview of presentation

• Introduction

• Objectives of the study

• Background to the study

• Research Methods and design

• Results and discussion

• Conclusion

Introduction • There is a mismatch between agricultural productivity and

human population growth mainly due to crop land

degradation, moisture stress, open grazing system and

family planning issues.

• To secure the food self sufficiency of ever increasing human

population it is important that production level increases

• Different options to maximize production in an environment

friendly manner without substantial increase in cost of

production need to be explored

• To test this proposition, a field experiment was carried out in a

rain fed farmer’s training center between 2010 to 2011 in

Maymesanu village, northern Ethiopia.

Objectives of the study

• Study effect of CA-based practices vs conventional

tillage practices under wheat (Triticum aestivum), and

barley (Hordeum vulgare) cropping in terms of

crop grain and straw yield

economic productivity

• We aim at linking indigenous knowledge and

tillage implements (Marasha and plow) with the

wide knowledge on CA

Background to the study Background information

• Location: Tigray, northern

Ethiopia

• Altitude: mid highland -2300

m.a.s.l

• Soil: sandy loam

• Crop: barley & wheat were

grown in rotation during study

• Average rainfall: 450- 650

mm/annum

• Average temperature ranges

from 13oc-26oc

East Tigray

Methods & experimental design

Preparation during sowing

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Layout of experimental

plots

Methods & experimental design Treatments

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

1. Conventional Tillage (CT):

plowed minimum 3 times and crop residue removed

Methods & experimental design Treatments

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

2. Semi-Permanent Raised Bed (SPB): tilled twice, once

just after harvest and again during sowing making furrows

and bed with a 30 cm wide raised bed, retention of crop

residue, and glyphosate was sprayed

Methods & experimental design Treatments

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

3. Permanent Raised Bed (PRB) is a system with furrow

and permanent raised beds at 30 cm width, 30% of crop

residue retained, zero tilled on bed but once refreshed on the

furrow with the help of glyphosate chemical

Methods & experimental design

Residue management

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

During residue retention

Methods & experimental design Residue management

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

PRB Plot CT Plot

Results and discussion

Photo taken after 95 days

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

Results and discussion

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

PRB Plot CT Plot

Results and discussion NDVI Reading

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

Results and discussion Agronomic parameter result of barley

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

Results and discussion

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

During farmers day at field

Plant height in cm

Results and discussion

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

Crop grain and biomass yield

Results and discussion

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

Conclusion

SPB

CT

PB

CT

PB

SPB

PB

SPB

CT

Residue management

• Total biomass, yield, plant height and plant density of

PRB & SPB were significantly higher than that of CT.

• Water holding capacity of PRB and SPB was much

better than CT

• The net return over the control treatment were higher

in both years with more pronounced in 2011

• CA based technology highly increases income of

women headed land owning households and old and

disabled land owning households

• It can be good to start with SPB as CA based practice

is new to the existing farming practice/culture

Cont…

• Thank you for your attention!