The Effects of Climate Smart Agriculture on Soil Fertility and Productivity: The Case of Tula-Jana Watershed, SNNPR Ethiopia.
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Date
2018-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Adopting agricultural technologies such as climate smart agriculture (CSA) which aims to improve productivity and promote environmental sustainability remains the top agenda for international organizations. Yet, the impacts of these technologies on achieving the goal of food security and environmental sustainability has not been deeply explored. This study was conducted with the objective of assessing the effects of adopting climate smart technologies on soil fertility and productivity. The study employed a comparative analysis between CSA adopters and BAU with 0 year of intervention. Soil survey, HH survey, field observation and key informant interview was used to collect data. The soil survey was conducted to determine the impact of years of intervention on soil fertility as well as the fertility status of soil under CSA intervention when compared to other land uses. The result of the study revealed that CSA made improvements both on soil fertility and productivity. The SOM content of soil under CSA showed improvement both with intervention and time. Plant nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus also showed improvement. Crop and livestock productivity of CSA adopters was found to be higher than BAU. The vegetation dynamics of the area also transformed significantly. The fertility of soil under CSA intervention however, was lower when compared to other land use systems like agroforestry and grassland. This indicates that CSA needs to be adopted at a landscape level integrating other land use systems for the overall ecological health of the area.
Key words: Adaptive capacity, Climate Smart Agriculture, mitigation, resilience, soil fertility