School of Natural Resources Managemen and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 337, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
Mekonnen, E., School of Natural Resources Managemen and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 337, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; Argaw, A., School of Natural Resources Managemen and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 337, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
The major rural land use system in Eastern Ethiopia is cultivation of khat (Catha edulis Forsk), which is the main perennial cash crop in the region for its stimulant leaf. Due to its financial attractiveness, farmers mostly cultivate the crop on cost of soil nutrient depletion as the marketing practice involves harvesting its fresh leaves throughout the year, wrapping with Eucalyptus twigs to retain its freshness during transportation to the local market, where they are dumped as municipal waste. Such routine activity disrupts the nutrient cycle out of its agro ecosystem. This study was conducted to assess fertilizer value of these wasted materials in the form of vermicompost and also to evaluate impacts of the vermicompost when it replenish soil in smallholder agriculture under rainfed condition. The khat and Eucalyptus wastes were collected, chopped and filled into 5 cemented pits of 1.5 m3. Treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications, which was designed as 100% khat leftover; 70% khat leftover mixed with 30% Eucalyptus twig and inoculated with red earthworms (Eisenia fetida), which feed and ultimately produce the vermicomposts. Its quality analysis showed that both forms of vermicompost are rich with essential plant nutrients. They were bulked and applied into a soil with rate of 0,15 and 301 ha-1 with or without half dose of recommended nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. The rate below 151 ha-1 of vermicompost plus half dose of the recommended fertilizer resulted highest marketable tuber yield. It implies that these forms of vermicomposts can be effective source of organic fertilizer in smallholder agriculture, potato cultivation in particular. © 2015 Asian Network for Scientific Information.