The document presents observations from field visits in Soddo and Humbo, Ethiopia, highlighting agroecological conditions, population demographics, and farming systems. It discusses the implementation of conservation agriculture (CA) and its positive impacts on crop yields, soil health, and livestock management over three seasons. Key findings include opportunities for innovation in mechanization and the integration of livestock within farming systems, as well as ongoing challenges related to equipment and research support.

1. Field Visit Observation
Prepared and presented by
Meaza Melkamu (grouped with Birehanu and Sileshi)
ACT, Policy and Strategy Adviser
February 28, 2020
Hawassa, Ethiopia

2. Agro ecology & farming system-Soddo
• 1500 to 3200 m.a.s.l
• 1200 mm per annum RF & Daily
temperature range: 15 to 30 ℃
• Soil type: mostly clay to clay loam
• Population (163,771-80,525 M &
83246 F)
• 31 KA
• Population density: 490 person
/square kilometre
• Total Livestock population: 295,687
(cows, oxen, sheep & goat; donkey
& poultry, mule & horse)
• Religion: 87.15% protestant,
7.87% orthodox, 4.07% catholic
• Mixed subsistence farming system
• Two agricultural production season:
• Meher (long rainy season-receiving
rain June to mid September) &
• Belg (short rainy season-March to
May)
• Variety of crops grown but Maize is
the main food crop grown
• Irish and sweet potato, enset/false
banana/cassava, taro and other
root crops –during the lean season
• Land degradation
• Low productivity & food insecurity
Source: CSA, 2008

3. Findings from Damot Woyide
• Profile
• Family profile: 12 with 6
daughters & 4 sons
• Land Holding: 1 ha-but not
all the farm is under CA
• Started CA in 2017 with
three seasons experiences
• Currently 0.25 ha is under
CA
• CA Principles applied
• Permanent soil cover: Pigeon
pea, mulch (imported grass &
later maize stover)
• Minimum soil disturbance:
Berken Maresha-deep
ploughing
• Rotation/Association: Maize-
Pigeon pea (planted 2 weeks
after maize)
• CA Enhancers
• Improved seed & fertilizer
from MoA
• Hand pulling of weeds
• Live fence/wind break-
banana

5. Key Findings-Soddo
• Yield increment
• Maize Conventional: 2Qt..ha?
• Maize under CA
• 1st season: 15m by 150m
• 4Qt of maize
• 2nd season: CA increased to 1/4ha
• 6Qt of maize, Pigeon pea -30kg/ha, Cow pea-20kg, lablab 6 kilo
• Cover crops consumed at family level
• Biomass increased-maize stover left on the soil
• Time & labour saved invested in other farm land
• Ready to learn and adapt

6. Agro ecology & farming system-Humbo
• Great Rift valley
• 1700 m.a.s.l
• RF: 1200 mm per annum
• Daily temperature: 19-30℃
• Soil type: mostly sandy
• Population (125,441; 63,017 M &
62,424 F)
• 41 KA
• Population density is 478 person
/square kilometre
• Total livestock population:
295,687-cows, oxen, sheep and
goat; donkey and poultry, mule
and horse
• Religion 87.15% protestant,
7.87% orthodox, 4.07% catholic
• Mixed subsistence farming system
• Low productivity and food
insecurity
• Two agricultural production season:
• Meher (long rainy season-
receiving rain June to mid
September) &
• Belg (short rainy season-March
to May)
• Variety of crops grown but Maize is
the main food crop grown
• Irish and sweet potato, enset/false
banana/cassava, taro and other root
crops –during the lean season
• Land degradation
Source: CSA, 2007

7. Findings from Humbo
• Family profile
• Land holding: 1 ha-but not
all the farm is under CA
• Started CA in 2017 with
three seasons experiences
• Currently 0.25 ha is under
CA
• CA Principles applied
• Permanent soil cover:
Pigeon pea, mulch (imported
grass and later maize stover)
• Minimum soil disturbance:
hand tool
• Rotation./Association:
maize-Pigeon
pea/lablab/cow pea
• CA Enhancers
• Improved seed & fertilizer
from MoA
• Hand pulling of weeds
• Live fence/wind break-
banana

9. Key Findings from Humbo site
• Yield increment
• 1st season: from 15m by 150m
• Maize under CA 4Q
• Cow pea: 2Qt
• Lablab: 1 Qt
• 2nd season: Land under CA increased to 1/4ha
• Cover crops consumed at family level
• Biomass increment-maize stover left on the soil
• Time and labour saved
• Ready to learn and adapt

10. Observation from the two sites
• Diversified mixed farming system
• Vegetables, root crops, Fruits, Cash
crops, herbs and trees (kale,
pumpkin, banana, cassava, sweet
potato, false banana, coffee, sugar
cane, pod carpus, Ruta graveolens
etc)
• Livestock: 3 Cows, 2 Sheep &
Some chickens
• Availability of mulch

11. Observation: First farm at Soddo
• Strength
• Impressive Quality work with
in three seasons: Positive
progress
• Very good emphasis on cover
crop-which has set the
foundation for the CA to
take-off
• Forward thinking Mind-set
change
• Fattening the soil & the oxen
• Farmers are innovating-
changing the paradigm shift
in mind-set change
• Farmers have not seen his
livestock as a threat rather
the synergy
• All legume cover crops are
edible
• Desmodium planted
beside the cassava as a
feed for the livestock-
indicating that he has
seen the need to grow
cover crop as fodder
• Livestock kept in a
separate house-Controlled
livestock management
• With CA I am fattening the
soil & the oxen

12. Observations: First farm-Soddo
• Challenges/opportunities
• No available planting
equipment
• The need to support
local fabrication/Artisans
to fabricate the planting
equipment
• The need to bring
mechanization on board
so that farmers can plant
on the mulch
• Sub-soiling or ripping is a
conventional tillage
practices-not CA-it is
only needed as a
corrective
measure/precondition to
break hard pan
• No need of deep
ploughing once hard
pan is corrected
• Sub soiling or ripping is
not need every season
and is impractical in a
mulched field
• Hard pan due to heavy
Machine or tillage pan
are controlled through
GPS traffic

13. Observation: First farm at Soddo
• Challenges/opportunities
• Cover crop: involving research
on CC rotations with the main
crop & other CCs with respect
to disease control
• How is the pigeon pea rotated-is
it going to remain there-or is it
going to go where the lablab is-
needs the support of
researchers to advise

14. Observations: Second Farm-Humbo
Strength
• Impressive Quality work with in
three seasons: Positive progress
• Young CA farmer
• Able to clearly articulate what
she does-she has been
empowered-the learning
process empowered her
• Very good emphasis on CC-
which has set the foundation for
the CA to take-off
• Cow pea is additional cover crop
• Forward thinking Mind-set
change
• False banana emerging due to
CA-not growing in Humbo
• Farmer did not see her livestock
as a threat rather as a synergy
• Controlled livestock management
/Livestock kept in a separate
house

15. Concern-Important Questions on the continuity
• Involvement of neighbouring farmers
• What proportion of the neighbourhood farmers are
practicing CA?
• The district CA adopters size might not tell the
picture; getting the impression of % farmers in the
neighbourhood
• Are we near to the critical mass of adopters or very
far away?
• Cluster of farmers attracting the cover crops seed
buyers, private sectors etc….
• The farmer can serve as a seed source for cover
crops

16. Lessons learned
• The CA practised is a low input agriculture
• CA is not a threat to livestock. There is a synergy;
fattening the soil and the livestock
• CA is possible without herbicide and pesticide-used
family labour for weeding
• An integrated farming system/Agroforestry
• How do we do CA for cash crops or other crops in the
farm-the next frontiers
• More Innovation and Research is required on
Mechanization, CC rotation, CA for other crops like coffee
(what cover crops do we need to grow under coffee)
• It is possible to move from imported mulch to using crop
residue and cover crops as a soil cover-makes it easier &
less laborious & more effective

17. Thoughts/unanswered Questions
• Production, Conservation
& Processing of fodder for
poultry, dairy, beef
fattening
• The role of chicken in the
pigeon pee mulch-are they
destroying the mulch or
scavenging worms?
• Can the pigeon pea
grounded and mixed with
residue or cassava to make
poultry feed?
• Can we blend some of the
crops to produce some
livestock feed
• Do we need to exclude the
poultry or practices semi-
free range system?
• How can the manure from
the livestock be utilized in
the farming system-source
of fuel-bio-gas-
composting-bio-slurry?
• Can the private sector play
their role in bringing
innovation in
mechanization?
• Can the government create
the demand by brining the
prototypes which can be
demonstrated to farmers?
• PPP

18. Thoughts/unanswered question
• How can the CA farmers
including the youth
graduate to services
provision?
• Could the Agricultural
Universities conduct
courses on mechanised CA
hire service provision?
• Can the Development
Actors build on what
TDA/CFGB has
established/planned to
continue?
• What is the Government
Strategy on Sustainable
Agriculture Mechanization
to support such farmers?
• What is the government
planning-how can RLLP
support these farmers
not to drop from CA?
• What is the vision of the
CA farmers?
• Where do they wan to go
individually or as a
group?
• How are they planning to
reach there in terms of
forming organization to
acquire inputs &
implements-accessing
market

19. Thank you very much!