INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO CROP PRODUCTIVITY: A CASE OF CHENCHA WOREDA, GAMO GOFA ZONE, SNNPRS.

Abstract

In chencha woreda, indigenous soil fertility management practices, are mainly agronomic and structural systems, which have supported one of the densest rural populations in rural Ethiopia since immemorial. Currently in this area, indigenous soil fertility management practiced are use of manure, agro forestry, crop rotation, intercropping, fallow land, and structural soil fertility management practices such as soil bund and terrace. The main objective of the study was to examine the indigenous soil fertility management practices of rural farm household in the area. The collected data whether household survey, focus group discussion, interview or field observation were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, and that showed a remarkably existence of indigenous soil fertility management practices like agronomic and structural. In addition to this, tilling on time, tilling during dry sun, cropping with manure before rotating pulses, use of ash mixing with cattle manure, pulled-weeds and hoe-cut were identified as fertility management practices. The data revealed that fallowing have gradually phased out while crop rotation has carried out based on crop type in dega agro ecology and based on need of farmer in woynadega agro ecology. Farmers perceived that indigenous soil fertility management practices are better although it affected by land size, sex, age and education level in addition to insignificant factors like reduction of grazing land, family income, introduction of modern fertilizer and peoples outlook in both agro ecologies. And all variables were tested by chi square to understand significant association .To the sustainability of this indigenous soil fertility management practices, it might be integrated in to modern agricultural system, the structural techniques should be strengthen and fertilizer preparation technologies disseminate to other smallholder farmers as well as local people should be acknowledged.