Abstract:
Conservation Agriculture(CA) benefits include increased organic matter, improved water
retention, improved soil fertility, reduced soil erosion, reduced weed infestation, increased
crop productivity and others. It is a resource-saving and production intensification system
through enhancing the natural resource base. Conservation agriculture technologies
involve minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover through crop residues or cover
crops and crop rotations for achieving higher productivity. In this study, we investigated
the different CA practices to understand the experiences of stakeholders, the opportunities,
and challenges of CA packages in Lake Tana BR. We also, examined the socio- economic,
institutional, and technical factors that determine the use of CA technologies in Bahir Dar
Zuria, North Achefer, and Gonder Zuria woredas. To address the above-mentioned
objectives of the study both primary and secondary data collected. The primary data were
collected from randomliy selected 90 sample households in three kebeles that selected
using purposely-sampling technique in (Wegelesa kebele from Bahir Dar Zuria woreda,
Wembera Eyesuse kebele from North Achefer woreda and Cehera Matebia kebele from
Gonder Zuria woreda) and four farm plots used for detailed biophysical study. The results
of the study indicated that above 27% of sampled householdes use Arashwogel and Aybar
BBM. The major challenges for not using the techinology the farmers relactancs towords
new techinology, understand of the use of techinology and disteribution of the techinology.
Opportunities for the expantion of the techinology include presense of DA's, availabelty of
techinology marekat,availabelty of credit, presense of NGO's and availabely of techinlogy.
On the average, the use of the two techinology Aybar BBM and Arashogel resulted in an
incerese in crop yield by 62.5% for wheat and 18.18-33.33% for teff respactively
compared to the traditional maresha. Water and soil loss also reduced by 59% and 77.3%
for teff crops and 19.3% and 51.7% for faba bean crops respactively for Arashwogel
compared to the traditional maresha. Recommendations focus on enhancing the
willingness and ability of farmers, strengthen learning opportunities through farmers
training center and their operation in rural areas of the administration practice, and
strengthen the extension contact between farmers and development agents for the need to
providing farmers with information on long- term impact of soil erosion on the present
fertile plots. Moreover, the need to develop the policy frame and strategies is urgent to
promote CA in the region.
Keywords: Conservation Agriculture, Conventional Agriculture, Zero tillage, Extension,
Stakeholders, Smallholder farmers