Jimma University - AgriProFocus...Jimma University Berhanu Belay, Gebermedihin Ambaw, Milkiyas Ahmed, Amsalu Nebiyu Jimma University Cornell University Dawit Solomon, Johannes Lehmann,

Jimma UniversityBerhanu Belay, Gebermedihin Ambaw, Milkiyas Ahmed, Amsalu Nebiyu

Jimma University

Cornell University

Dawit Solomon, Johannes Lehmann, Dominic Woolf, Stefan Jirka, Rachel Hestrin, Marie ZwetslootSchool of Integrative Plant Science

Garrick Blalock, Andrew Simons, Bourcard NesinDyson School of Applied Economics and Management

• One of largest country in Africa (1.2 million km2)

• Second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa (~97 million)

• Expected to cross 300 million by 2050

• Faces a number of critical development challenges

• Environmental degradation

• Food insecurity

• Climate change

Background – Ethiopia

• Most Ethiopian smallholder farmers practice subsistence-level, low-input and rain-fed

agriculture with low agricultural productivity

Extreme land degradation

Food aid recipients

Very poor crop stand

Phosphorus deficient plants

Extreme loss of top soil

Loss of vegetation cover

Loss of plant nutrients

Low soil fertility

• Biochar could be used alone or formulated with other biomass • Biochar based indigenous fertilizer/formulation could be an

alternative • Improve soil health and crop productivity

• Compliment in-organic fertilizer • Reduces dependence on external inputs

• Biochar : Product of heating biomass in the absence of or with limited air to above 250 o C• A process called charring or pyrolysis also used to produce charcoal.• Material distinguishes from charcoal in that, it is used as a soil

application or broader environmental management.

• Co-composting on Biochar/formulation has shown a number of benefits (enhances nutrient recycling, suppresses plant pathogens, accelerates composting)

Biochar/Biochar Based Indigenous

fertilizer

6

BIOMASS: Examples of agricultural and agro-industrial wastes in Ethiopia

330, 000, 000kg cofee/ yr

Discarded bones

Biomass : Non-competitive residues from agricultural and agro-industrial sources

• Recycling of this P potentially offsetting 28-58% of Ethiopia’s annual phosphorus imports

• Worth $50-105 million USD

Nature Geoscience, Simon, Lehmann, Solomon et al., 2014

8

Biomass resource assessment and socio economic study

Infrastructure to produce biochar

Outreach activities Biochar Producing Facilities Farmers Level

13

Biochar Production• Need to know the soil• Production constraints• Optimize production

parameter to produce targeted biochar

Steps involved in converting agricultural residue to bio fertilizer

Optimum production temprature for coffee husk char Jimma

14

BBIF formulation Co-Componenting: Coffee husk/ sugarcane leaf/ wheat straw + Farm yardmanure + Chicken manure (in 3:1:1 ratio by volume) + Coffee husk /prosopisbiochar (20% of the total mixture) + Bone char + Soil + Water

Alternative phosphorus fertilizers using indigenous value chains in Ethiopia

Farmers practice – No input 30% of MOA Recommended rate Indigenous fertilizer

Trials made

1. Researcher managed trial on research station

2. On-farm trial (Farmers managed)

Alternative phosphorus fertilizers using indigenous value chains in Ethiopia

Maize under farmers practice (control)

Maize under bone-based indigenous fertilizer

• IF provided 40% of the recommended P input

• IF more than doubled the farmers yield in on-

farm trials

• Use of IF resulted in 40% saving for farmers

2.71

5.82 5.66

7.79

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Control 60% NPK Bone char (40%P) + 60% NKand 20% P

Biochar +Compost +

Bone (40% P) +Ash (40% K) +

60% N + 20%PK

Yie

ld (

t/h

a)Treatments

On-farm trial maize yield

3.86

6.26

5.19

6.36

Control 60% NPK Bone meal (40% P)+ 60% NK and 20%

P

Bone char (40% P) +60% NK and 20% P

Yie

ld (

t/h

a)

Treatment

Researcher managed trial maize yield

Disk type pelletizer machine used for extensive parametric sensitivity testing of Bochar based indigenous fertilier by my M.Sc Student Mr. Henok Atile

Capacity Development

Capacity building M.Sc student

Discussion with farmers

Farmers Participation

ELSA stove Demonstration

Farmers participation

Field Day

Field Day

Field Day

Field Day

Way forward • Refining of indigenous fertilizer and infrastructure to

advance indigenous fertilizer – Commercialization of biochar based indigenous fertilizer

• Stoves developed • Indigenous fertilizer

– Networking and collaborations in advancing the technology – Capacity building and continuous learning by engaging farmers

and students – Test Biochar and BBIF in high value crops and livestock;

• Publication and expansion of the technologies • Produce BBIF in farmers backyard to compliment

inorganic fertilizer• Run economic analyses

Thank you