Production and Utilization of Crop Residues in Horro and Guduru Districts, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

State, western Ethiopia, to identify crop residue management and utilization practices in both agro-ecologies using a single-visit multi subject formal survey method. Of the number of respondents (household heads) interviewed were 210 (60 from highland and 150 from mid altitude area). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The major crop residues used in the study areas include teff, wheat, barle, maize,, faba bean, field pea straw and Noug chaff. The amount of crop residues produced depends on the area of land cultivated. Accordingly higher (P<0.001) amount of teff straw, maize stover and noug chaff were produced in mid altitude than in highland whereas more amount of wheat straw, barely straw and faba bean haulm were produced in highland (P<0.01) than in the mid altitude area. However, there were no differences (P>0.05) between the highland and mid altitude areas agro-ecologies in the overall amount of crop residues produced. The interviewed farmers rank the feed value of crop residues based on their softness, fineness and ease of storage and transportation. Tef straw is the most preferred feed whereas faba bean haulm is the least preferred in both agro-ecologies. The high ranking crop residues are given better attention and conserved for future use. Accordingly 96.7% of respondents from the highland and 99.3% from the mid altitude area conserve teff straw for future use, whereas only 5% and 2% of the interviewed households in the highland and mid altitude areas, respectively, conserve faba bean haulms for future use. The crude protein content (CP) of the crop residues varied from 3.6% (wheat straw) to 8.1% (noug chaff). The highest in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was recorded in noug chaff (84.5%) while the lowest was in field pea straw (49.9%). In general, the crop residues have low protein and high fiber contents, which necessitate some degree of supplementation or treatment to support reasonable livestock performance