Presented by Angaw Tsige (EIAR) at the N2Africa Ethiopia Launch Workshop, Addis Ababa, 27-28 February 2014

1. በሀዋሳ ዩኒቨርሰቲ የ
ጋር በመ
HAWASSA U
DIRECTO
EIAR progress report on N2Africa bridging
year in Ethiopia (2013)
Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa
Angaw Tsige, EIAR
N2Africa Ethiopia Launch Workshop, ILRI
27-28 February 2014

3.  BNF study in Ethiopia in 1980s.
 The study had no sustainable support and research plan until
late 1990s
1. Introduction
 Most institutions have been started to demonstrate very fruitful
results and been able to create demands for their product;
 few strains
 one multiplication center
 Few expertise
 However, there was all round challenges and limitations

4. Project area N2Africa – Ethiopia (EIAR)
 Debre Zeite ARC
Chefe Donsa and Adaa districts, East Shewa, Oromia Regional State
 Melkasa ARC
Shalla district, West Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State
 Pawe ARC
Mandura district, of Benshangul Gumuz Regional State

5. Test crops for the project

6. Crop Types
Land area
(ha)
Yield
(t/ha)
Potential
yield (t/ha)
Sources
Faba bean 459,183 1.5 5.0 CSA, 2010
Common bean 237,366 1.4 3.0 CSA, 2010
Chick pea 208,388 1.5 3.0 CSA, 2010
Field pea 203,991 1.3 CSA, 2010
Lentil 73,341 1.0 CSA, 2010
Vetch 131,043 1.5 CSA, 2010
Soybean 11,261 1.4 4.0 CSA, 2010
Table 1: Area under cultivation, average yields and potential yields in
Ethiopia (2010)

7. Baby Trial = legume varieties vs inorganic P fertilizer vs inoculant
‘Input trial’ = a legume variety vs inorganic P fertilizer vs
inoculant
‘Variety trial’ = legume varieties vs inorganic P fertilizer and
inoculant
3. Project bridging activities run during 2013/2014
cropping season

8. 1 Melkasa Common
Bean
Awash 1 - -
2 Nasir - -
3 Awash 1 25 kg /ha DAP +
4 Nasir 25 kg /ha DAP +
No. Responsible
Center
Crop types Variety Fertilizer Inoculant
1 Debre Zeit Chickpea Yelbe - -
2 Natoli - -
3 Yelbe 25 kg /ha DAP +
4 Natoli 25 kg /ha DAP +
1 Pawe Common
Bean
Awash 1 - -
2 Nasir - -
3 Awash 1 25 kg /ha DAP +
4 Nasir 25 kg /ha DAP +
25 kg ha DAP 4.5 N
11.5 P2O5
Inoculant = CP 41
Inoculant = HB EAL429

9. Responsible
Center
Crop
types
Sites * Site Code Plot Size Spacing
Debre Zeit Chickpea Chefe Donsa Eth-CD01 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Udee 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Melkasa Common
Bean
Lencha
leman
Eth-LL01 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Awara
Gama
Eth-AG02 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Fande Ejersa Eth-FE03 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Pawe Common
Bean
Jigda Eth-M01 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Dehoanzibag
una
Eth-M02 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
Edida Eth-M02 10m x 10m 30cm x 10cm
* conducted on 15 farmers’ fields, 5 farmers per Kebele

10. 1 Melkasa Common
Bean
Nasir - -
2 Nasir 25 kg /ha DAP -
3 Nasir - +
4 Nasir 25 kg /ha DAP +
No. Responsible
Center
Crop types Variety Fertilizer Inoculant
1 Debre Zeit Chickpea Natoli - -
2 Natoli 25 kg /ha DAP -
3 Natoli - +
4 Natoli 25 kg /ha DAP +
1 Pawe Common
Bean
Nasir - -
2 Nasir 25 kg/ha DAP -
3 Nasir - +
4 Nasir 25 kg /ha DAP +
25 kg ha DAP 4.5 N
11.5 P2O5
Inoculant = CP 41
Inoculant = HB EAL 429

11. Responsible
Center
Crop/
Variety
District,
FTC
Site Code Plot Size Soils
Debre Zeit Chickpea/
Arerti
Adaa/ Udee,
East Shewa
Eth-A 3m x 4m Vertisols
Melkasa Common
Bean/
Nasir
Shala, West
Arsi zone
Eth-Sh 3m x 4m Andosols
Pawe Common
Bean/
Nasir
Mandura,
BGR
Eth-M 3m x 4m Nitisols

12. Shalla district Mandura district Varieties used
ECAB0081 Argene ECAB0081
GLP2 Awash Dume GLP2
ECAB0056 Awash Melka ECAB0056
Nassir Awash-1 Nassir
Awash1 Dimtu Awash1
Deme Dinkinesh Deme
Dinkinesh IBADO Dinkinesh
Dimitu Nassir Dimitu
A/Melka Sari A/Melka
Argene
Awash Dume
IBADO
Sari
Common bean Varieties

13. Project achievements
 Results
Other project activities undertaken in 2013
Results

14. 0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
BMY (t/ha) Wihout inoculant BMY (t/ha) With inoculant
Figure 1. Effect of DAP and inoculants on Biomass yield of
Chickpea (Arerti) on farmers field ‘Baby Trial’ Chefe Donsa

15. 0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
Po P1 Po P1 Po P1 Po P1 Po P1 Po P1
Abebech
Desse
Mesfin
Alemayehu
Dagne
Tesema
Dagne
Tesema
Gemechu
Sagn
Teshome
GY (T/ha) Wihout
inoculant
GY (T/ha) With
inoculant
Figure 2. Effect of DAP and inoculants on Grain yield of Chickpea
(Arerti) on farmers field ‘Baby Trial’ Chefe Donsa

16. ‘Baby Trial’ Shalla
Yield Response of two common bean
varieties to fertilizer and inoculant
across kebele
Fande Ejersa Awara Gama Lencha leman
GrainYieldofcommonbean
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Awsh1
Awsh1+DAP+Inoculant
Nassir
Nassir+DAP+Inoculant
Figure 3. Response of two common bean to DAP and inoculants
across farmers field at different kebeles

17. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500 Fande Ejersa Awara Gama Lencha lemanGrainyield(Kg/ha)
‘Baby Trial’ Shalla

18. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Nasir Awash
Melka
Nasir Awash
Melka
Nasir Awash
Melka
Nasir Awash
Melka
Nasir Awash
Melka
Nasir Awash
Melka
Without Inputs
With Inputs
Grainyield,Kgha-1
‘Baby Trial’ at Mandura

19. Input Trial at Mandura
Treatment
Plant height
(cm)
Biomass Yield
(t /ha)
Grain Yield
(t /ha)
25kgDAP 51.4 1.90 1.61
25kgDAP & Inoculant 45.6 1.68 1.33
Inoculant 45.93 1.48 1.23
Without Inputs 46.53 1.50 1.20
CV 11.4 21.72 23.38
LSD ns ns ns
Table 1. Effect of DAP fertilizer and inoculants on common bean
Nassir variety Nassir (biomass and grain yield)

20. Table 2. Effect of DAP fertilizer and inoculants on common bean
Nassir variety yield components, biomass and nodulation of
Treatment
No. of
Pod/ plant
seed/
pod
Grain
Yield
(t ha-1)
Biomass (t
ha-1)
Nodules
/plant
DAP + Inoculant 11.3a 5.0a 3.67a 6.67a 33.5a
DAP 7.1b 4.7a 2.79b 5.33ab 31.03a
Inoculant 6.7b 3.7b 2.47b 6.33ab 31.9a
Nasir (Control) 5.6b 2.7c 1.79c 5.80b 29.8a
LSD 3.29 1 0.78 0.89 9.13
CV (%) 21.4 12.5 14.6 7.5 14.5
Sign * * * ns ns
Input Trial at Shalla

21. Table 3. Effect of DAP fertilizer and inoculants on yield, yield components,
biomass and nodulation of common bean varieties
Treatment
No. of
Pods/plant
No. of
Seeds/pod
No. of active
nodules/plant
No. of inactive
nodules/plant
ECAB0081 14.0 4.7 9.33 0.67
GLP2 13.3 3.1 9.17 0.83
ECAB0056 14.0 4.7 9.00 1.00
Nasir 16.7 6.1 8.00 2.00
Awash1 12.7 3.7 8.50 1.50
Deme 14.7 5.3 9.00 1.00
Dinkinesh 11.3 3.7 8.00 2.00
Dimitu 14.3 4.3 8.17 1.83
A/Melka 11.7 3.0 8.83 1.17
LSD 2.40 0.7 1.70 1.70
CV (%) 10.3 9.0 11.5 17.5
Sign. * * NS NS
Variety trial at Shalla

22. Variety trial Shalla
0
2
4
6
8
10
12 Grain Yield (t/ha) Biomass (t/ha)
No. of Nodules/plant
Common bean root nodulation Scoring, Ethiopia 2013

23. Farmers
name/site
Clay
(%)
Sand
(%)
Silt
(%)
Textur
e
pH
(1:2.5)
Total
N
(%)
OM
(%)
C:N
CEC
(meq/
100g Soil)
Ava.P
(ppm)
Mihret abebe 70 13 17 Cl 5.09 0.177 4.701 15.41 23.11 1.07
Ejigu moges 78 11 11 Cl 4.66 0.162 3.611 12.93 33.13 0.25
Neguse
tesema 68 6 26 Cl 5.31 0.169 4.292 14.73 25.7 0.33
FTC 38 18 44 SiClL 7.47 0.190 5.042 15.39 26.1 99.96
Berhanu
asmare 48 16 36 SiCl 6.35 0.193 7.222 21.71 32.9 3.66
Yeshewase
mekonen 30 26 44 ClL 6.02 0.170 7.631 26.04 30.26 77.98
Inputs trial 80 1 19 Cl 5.08 0.169 4.497 15.43 26.08 1.32
Variety trial 78 3 19 Cl 4.93 0.156 4.088 15.20 23.05 1.57
Table: Soil physicochemical properties before planting at
Mandura district Nitisols
varieties Argene
Awash
dume
Awash
Melka
Awash-
1
Dimt
u
Dinknes
h IBADO Nassir Sari weed
%N 2.11 1.88 2.53 2.28 2.28 2.27 2.14 1.88 1.89 1.94

24. Summary
 Common bean variety Nasir and chickpea variety Arerti responded
very significantly to both types of fertilizers in Shalla district while it
has NS difference at Mandura
 Hence, it is important to look for microbial inoculants adopted to
specific ecosystem /universal type/
 Chickpea variety Arerti well responded to rhizobial inoculants and
gave significant yield advantage over the control at Adaa situation
 Common bean Nassir showed its superiority over many improved
varieties and responded significantly to integrated fertilizer use
 Legumes (CB & CP) yield improved as a result of integrated fertilizer
use (rhizobial inoculant and inorganic fertilizer)
 Farmers have been convinced the advantage of using rhizobial
fertilizer and were giving their witness during field days very happily

25.  Awareness creation on N2 Africa project activities for
zonal and district leaders, and technical persons in BOA
 Farmers identification and site selection
 Obtaining/availing of inputs (DAP, inoculants and seed)
 Land preparation and planting
 Monitoring and Data collection
 Organizing farmers field day
Other activities undertaken in 2013

26. Training and
awareness creation
on N2Africa
activities
Survey and site
selection N2Africa
Training and awareness
creation on N2Africa activities

27. N2Africa Farmers’ Field
day at Shalla west Arsi
Zone, Oromia Reg. State
N2Africa Farmers’ Field day
common bean at Mandura
Benshangule Gumuze R. State

28. N2Africa Farmers’ Field day
common bean at Mandura
Benshangule Gumuze R. State
N2Africa Farmers’ Field
day at Shalla west Arsi
Zone, Oromia Reg. State

29.  Shortage of vehicle for proper management of the trials
 Lack of research supplies (Chemicals etc)
 Late planting due to delay in MOU between EIAR and ILRI
 Animal damage/attack
 Human interference (early harvest, theft and damage) in trials
 Disease and pest occurrence
 Delay of budget releasing
 Inadequate biofertilizers products
 The lack of quality control on biofertilizers
 Lack of all round training
Challenges

30. Lessons learnt
 The project has been able to bring many stakeholders in one
plat form for the improvement of the legume production
system
 Lack of clear protocols for each activities
 Lack of experience by technicians to collect all data and
information
 Need for special training at all level of expertise and farmers
 Need for additional and alternative biofertilizers products
 Need for empowering women farmers on legume production

31. The Way Forward
 Address more food and forage growing areas through research centers (Jima,
Assosa, Kulumsa, etc)
 Screen more additional new potential inoculants
 Strengthening the existing labs (equipments & research supplies)
 Training and awareness creation
 Timely release of budget
 Including other important legumes (Soybean, Faba bean and Climbing bean)
 Screening of BNF inoculants across different stress conditions
 Scaling up of promising result
 Quality biofertilizers and Economics on results
 More Graduate students participation