Abstract:
Determinants of the use of cereal and pulse residue for livestock feeding and soil mulching among smallholder farmers
in the mixed farming system were analyzed. Crop residue (CR) is dual purpose resources in the mixed crop–livestock
systems of the Ethiopian highlands. They serve as livestock feed and inputs for soil and water conservation. They are
generated predominantly from cereals and pulses. However, in view of the allocation of CR, soil conservation and livestock are two competing enterprises. Identifying the determinants of the intensity of use of cereal and pulse residue may
help in designing strategies for more efficient CR utilization. Data on CRwere generated and its utilization was collected
in two highland regions in Ethiopia from 160 households using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using
the multivariate Tobit model. Results of the study showed that farmers prefer using CR from pulses over CR from
cereals for livestock feeding purposes. The proportion of CR from pulses that was used as feed was positively affected
by education level of the farmer, livestock extension service, number of small ruminants and CR production from the
previous season. Distance of farm plots from residences of the farm households negatively affected the proportions
of cereal and pulse residue used for feed. The use of pulse residue increased significantly when the women participated
in decision making on CR utilization. The proportion of cereal and pulse residue used for soil mulch was positively
affected by the education level of the farmer, the distance between the homestead and the cultivated land, extension
service, awareness about soil mulch, the slope of cultivated land, participation in farmer-to-farmer extension and CR
generated in the preceding season. In view that pulse CR have better nutritive value compared with cereal CR, better
utilization of CR could be achieved by maximizing the use of pulse residue as livestock feed and optimizing the use
of cereal residue as soil mulch. More livestock extension on the nutritive value of pulse residue should be provided to
the farmers who cultivate sloppy plots. Encouraging the culture of labor exchange among the farmers could result in
increased labor availability in the farms that would facilitate the transport and storage of pulse residue and increase
its use as livestock feed. Increasing the awareness among farmers about the superiority of the pulse residue over
cereal residue as feed and encouraging use of cereal residue as soil mulch could optimize the utilization of CR in the
household
