Poor soil fertility is among the major factors that limit faba bean production in Wolaita Zone in southern Ethiopia. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in the Kokate Marachare subdistrict of Sodo Zuria District of the zone during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons to determine the response of faba bean to different rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers under lime-treated soil conditions by using Tumsa faba bean variety. The treatments consisted of three rates of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 23, and 46kgNha⁻¹), three rates of phosphorus fertilizer (0, 46, and 92kgP₂O₅ ha⁻¹), and three rates of potassium fertilizer (0, 30, and 60kgK₂O ha⁻¹) that were laid out as RCBD and replicated three times per treatment. The results indicated that the N, P, and K fertilizer combination at 23:92:60kgha⁻¹ increased plant height, the number of branches per plant, and stem girth by 18, 62.6, and 55.6, respectively, compared with the control treatment. A significantly high aboveground dry biomass (11.8tha⁻¹), number of pods per plant (17 pods), number of seeds per pod (4 pods), stover yield (6.83tha⁻¹), and hundred seed weight (88g) were obtained from the N, P, and K fertilizer combination at 23:92:60kgha^–1. The highest grain yield (4.97tha⁻¹) was obtained from the N, P, and K combination at 23:92:60kgha⁻¹, which was 360 higher than the yield obtained from the control treatment. Moreover, the highest mean net benefit (USD 4,109.33ha⁻¹) with an acceptable marginal rate of return of 1,340 was obtained from the N, P, and K fertilizer combination at 23kgN, 92kgP₂O₅, and 60kgK₂Oha^–1, respectively. Thus, these rates are suggested for faba bean production in the acidic soils of the Wolaita Zone.

In the past three decades, localized research has highlighted shifts in rainfall patterns and temperature trends in central Ethiopia, a region vital for agriculture and economic activities and heavily dependent on climate conditions to sustain livelihoods and ensure food security. However, comprehensive analyses of long-term climate data remain limited for this area. Understanding local climate trends is essential for enhancing agricultural resilience in the study area, a region heavily dependent on rainfall for crop production. This study analyzes historical rainfall and temperature patterns over the past 30 years and projects future climate conditions using downscaled CMIP6 models under SSP4.5 and SSP8.5 scenarios. Results indicate spatial variability in rainfall trends, with certain areas showing increasing rainfall while others experience declines. Temperature has shown a consistent upward trend across all seasons, with more pronounced warming during the short rainy season (Belg). Climate projections suggest continued warming and moderate increases in annual rainfall, particularly under SSP8.5 by the end of the 21st century. It is concluded that both temperature and rainfall are projected to increase in magnitude by 2080, with higher Sen’s slope values compared to earlier periods, indicating a continued upward trend. These findings highlight potential breaks in agricultural calendars, such as shifts in rainfall onset and cessation, shortened or extended growing seasons, and increased risk of temperature-induced stress. This study highlights the need for localized adaptation strategies to safeguard agriculture production and enhance resilience in the face of future climate variability.

Low soil fertility and climate change-induced low soil moisture are major problems constraining potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia. Climate events are projected to become more pervasive. Therefore, research was conducted with the objective of analyzing smallholder potato farmers’ adaptation strategies to cope with the issues of low soil fertility and low soil moisture that are exacerbated by climate change. The research involved surveying eight purposively selected peasant associations in four major potato-producing districts in east and west Hararghe zones. The survey employed a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected from 357 households using a standard questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, index ranking, and analysis of variance for survey data. The observed climate data for the period of 1988 to 2017 were analyzed. The Mann-Kendall trend test, standard anomaly index, precipitation concentration index, and coefficient of variation were used to analyze the observed climate data. The survey results revealed the farmers, on average, applied 159 kg urea, 165 kg NPS (63 kg P₂O₅, 31 kg N and 12 kg S), and 1.8 ton of farmyard manure per hectare for producing potatoes. Most smallholder farmers (68.91%) used supplemental irrigation for potato production during the main growing season. The method of irrigation the farmers used was overwhelmingly the furrow method (92.72%). Analyzing the climate data showed that the mean annual temperature increased whereas the mean annual rainfall decreased during the 30-year period. It was concluded that climate change is markedly affecting potato production; in response to this, most of the farmers used supplemental irrigation to cope with moisture stress, all of them applied mineral fertilizers, and some of them additionally applied organic fertilizer to alleviate the problems of soil degradation and nutrient depletion. This implies that soil moisture and nutrient stresses are the major problems constraining potato production against which the farmers need policy and institutional supports to consolidate their coping strategies and build resilience against climate change.

Wonji-Shoa and Metahara sugarcane plantations experience reduced sucrose content (%) during the starting period of sugarcane crushing due to the combined influence of high (>27°C) temperature and the presence of high residual soil moisture. Studies elsewhere showed the potential of chemical ripeners in boosting the sucrose content (%), where natural ripening is deterred by these challenges. Accordingly, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the responsiveness of selected sugarcane varieties to chemical ripeners at both plantations. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination of four sugarcane varieties (B52298, NCo334, C86-56, and SP70-1284) and six ripener treatments: (1) Ethephon^™(720 g ai ha⁻¹), (2) Fusilade Forte^™(25.6 g ai ha⁻¹), (3) Moddus^™ (250 g ai ha⁻¹), (4) Ethephon^™ (720 g ai ha⁻¹) + Fusilade Forte^™ (25.6 g ai ha⁻¹), (5) Moddus^™ (250 g ai ha⁻¹) + Fusilade Forte^™ (25.6 g ai ha⁻¹), and (6) Unsprayed (control). The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design in a factorial arrangement with three replications. The results showed a significant ( ) and highly significant ( ) variety by ripener interaction in stalk height and sucrose content, respectively, while the main effect ripener highly significantly affected stalk weight ( ) and sucrose yield ( ). The variety C86-56 sprayed with combinations of Ethephon^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ and Moddus^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ had the shortest stalk heights of 1.27 and 1.29 m, respectively, compared with the control. Ethephon^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ combination resulted in the highest reduction of stalk weight (8.36%), while the lowest was recorded in the sole Moddus^™ treatment (6.31%). From the ripener treatments, the Moddus^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ combination and Ethephon^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ combination improved sucrose yield by 1.42 and 1.34 t ha⁻¹, respectively, compared with the control. However, in economic terms, the Moddus^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ combination treatment resulted in the highest marginal rate of return of 1244%. Therefore, the Moddus^™ + Fusilade Forte^™ combination ripener treatment was found to be promising to be evaluated at a commercial scale on immature sugarcane varieties B52-298, NCo334, and SP70-1284.

Large areas of farms are covered by variety of vegetable crops in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. With a view to improve current vegetable production fertilizer use efficiency, survey has been conducted through collections of baseline information to describe household fertilizer uses and soil fertility management in vegetable production system using descriptive statistics. Multistage samplings were made to select representative growers in the six districts of East Showa zone. Based on field observations and group discussions, vegetable growers grouped their farm land into four local categories. The survey revealed that tomato growers apply variable rates of urea and DAP fertilizers for tomato cultivation. Survey results indicated that highest 43.61% of onion growers apply 200 kg of DAP fertilizer on their onion field, while 30.85% of growers apply 300 kg DAP per ha, another 39.35% apply, 400 kg and above DAP fertilizer, still 8.5% of onion growers apply 600 kg DAP fertilizer on their onion farm. This survey indicated that fertilizers were not wisely used in the vegetable crops production systems and the applications are in excess rate, which could leads to pollution of the environment from over dose application and from runoff in to the water bodies and leaching in to the ground water with economic loss. Most of the tomato and onion growers use three splits application of UREA and DAP mainly at transplanting, at first and second cultivation for both crops as top-dressing. The survey results indicated that 54.44% of onion growers apply an average of 230.35 kg ha-1 DAP at transplanting, while 46.53% apply an average of 188.29 kg ha-1 DAP at second split application, and finally 17.82% apply an average of 119.44 kg ha-1 DAP at last third split applications. This is the first document come across that vegetable growers in the CRV area apply DAP fertilizer as much as three splits. This indicates that there are no systems of updating of frontline development workers; poor extension services with shallow development workers knowledge made the growers totally depend on their own innovations for vegetable production.