ICRISAT Hosts Training Programs for Landscape-Based Fertilizer Use in Ethiopia
Over 200 Participants Across 21 Districts Benefit from Hands-on Experience
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), under the Fertilizer Ethiopia Use Case of the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy initiative, conducted a series of training workshops in June 2024. These sessions focused on the “Implementation Guidelines for Piloting Landscape-Based Fertilizer” across 21 districts in Amhara, Oromia, Central, and Southern Ethiopia.
The primary goal was to equip agricultural experts and extension agents with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement landscape-based fertilizer recommendations at the farm level.
The workshops provided comprehensive training on key aspects of the guidelines, including:
- Implementation procedures for the landscape-based fertilizer advisory
- Digital advisory tools and dissemination mechanisms
- Complementary agronomic practices and acid soil management through liming
- Data collection protocols and tools for monitoring and evaluation
- Communication tools to promote learning and innovation use
Participants received hands-on experience with the advisory tool, designed for optimized fertilizer application. The tool calculates recommended rates of Urea and NPS fertilizers for specific sites based on field size, crop type, landscape position, and geographic coordinates. The advice is then shared with end users via SMS or in a printed table. Participants were also introduced to the use of a Telegram bot, which will serve as a learning and scaling tool to support innovation dissemination.
The training equipped extension agents and experts with advanced knowledge and skills regarding nutrient management tailored to specific landscapes and crops. Additionally, they learned the importance of acid soil management and crop-specific agronomic practices to enhance nutrient use efficiency.
A total of 261 participants (57 women and 204 men) attended the workshops, representing scaling partners from 18 districts and 98 Kebeles. A series of frequently asked questions on landscape-based nutrient management were also discussed. These questions will be integrated into the Telegram bot to provide timely, accessible answers and enhance communication with users in the field.
These workshops mark a significant step towards more precise and sustainable fertilizer use, aligning with Ethiopia's broader agricultural development goals.
Jemima Mandapati