Estimating acid soil effects on selected cereal crop productivities in Ethiopia: Comparing economic cost-effectiveness of lime and fertilizer applications

dc.creatorWarner, J.M.
dc.creatorMann, M.L.
dc.creatorChamberlin, J.
dc.creatorTizale, C.Y.
dc.date2023-04-11T20:30:11Z
dc.date2023-04-11T20:30:11Z
dc.date2023
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-17T20:10:31Z
dc.date.available2023-07-17T20:10:31Z
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10883/22564
dc.identifier10.1371/journal.pone.0280230
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorioslatinoamericanos.uchile.cl/handle/2250/7514307
dc.descriptionAcid soils are a major constraint to agricultural productivity in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Restoring soil pH to optimal ranges for agriculture can have a significant impact on yields, particularly for acid intolerant crops like wheat and barley. The application of agricultural lime is the standard corrective, although the large application requirements, lack of farmer awareness, and weak or non-existent lime supply chains make this a complex problem to address at scale. To date, no large-scale farmer trials of lime application have been undertaken in Ethiopia. This leaves open the question to local policy makers as to the economic benefits given the enormous capital and logistics investments required. To help address this we leverage existing spatial edaphic data and longitudinal crop surveys to simulate the productivity impact of varying lime and fertilizer applications. Our estimates find the impact of moving pH from 5.5 to 6.5, modeled as a lime soil remediation strategy, increases yields by 22% and 19% for wheat and barley, respectively. In addition, at lower pH levels our models indicate that commonly used nitrogen-based fertilizers are less cost-effective. For wheat in highly acidic soils, we find that fertilizers cost over two times as much as a single application of lime over a five-year period. The cost savings of the use of lime reaches as high as 121% of average one-year agricultural household income for wheat; with barley these savings are lower but still substantial at 24%. In general, we advocate for an integrated soil fertility management strategy that applies appropriate levels of fertilizer on pH balanced soil. If successful, Ethiopia’s acid soil reclamation could become a modest version of Brazil’s successful “cerrado miracle” and serve as an example for Africa.
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science
dc.relationhttps://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/S1_File_-/21892462
dc.relationPoverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
dc.relationExcellence in Agronomy
dc.relationResilient Agrifood Systems
dc.relationBill & Melinda Gates Foundation
dc.relationhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/129961
dc.rightsCIMMYT manages Intellectual Assets as International Public Goods. The user is free to download, print, store and share this work. In case you want to translate or create any other derivative work and share or distribute such translation/derivative work, please contact CIMMYT-Knowledge-Center@cgiar.org indicating the work you want to use and the kind of use you intend; CIMMYT will contact you with the suitable license for that purpose
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.source1
dc.source18
dc.source0280230
dc.source1932-6203
dc.sourcePLoS ONE
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
dc.subjectOptimal pH
dc.subjectLogistics Investment
dc.subjectSpatial Edaphic Data
dc.subjectACID SOILS
dc.subjectCEREAL CROPS
dc.subjectLIMES
dc.subjectFERTILIZER APPLICATION
dc.subjectSustainable Agrifood Systems
dc.titleEstimating acid soil effects on selected cereal crop productivities in Ethiopia: Comparing economic cost-effectiveness of lime and fertilizer applications
dc.typeArticle
dc.typePublished Version
dc.coverageEthiopia
dc.coverageSan Francisco, CA (USA)


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