TITLE:
Promotion of Improved Sorghum Technologies through Large-Scale Demonstration in Gololcha Woreda, Arsi Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
AUTHORS:
Hailemariam Solomon, Fistum Miruts, Amare Seyoum, Chalachew Endalamaw
KEYWORDS:
Demonstration, Extension Gap, Large-Scale, Sorghum, Technology Gap
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
29,
2021
ABSTRACT: The study was carried out
to improve farmers’ awareness, enhance the adoption of full package sorghum
production technologies. The large-scale demonstration was implemented at
Gololcha woreda of Arsi zone for one year (2019/2020) using Melkam variety. The
demonstration was implemented in three kebeles and a total of 100 hectares of
land was covered by participating 117 household heads (farmers) out of which 12
of them were women-headed. In the demonstration farmers contributed a land size
of 0.25 hectares (the minimum) and 2 hectares of land (maximum). Totally, from
the demonstration 4030 quintals of sorghum were harvested with 42.3 quintals
per hectare average productivity. The yield obtained by farmers practices was 18.23 q·ha-1 which is lower as compared
to the average yield obtained by large scale demonstration. The technology gap
(TG) was 15.70 q·ha-1 which indicated that technologies have not been adopted. Extension gap was
24.07 q·ha-1 and this result indicated that the extension approach should be more strengthened. It has been ascertained that “Melkam” variety is the best fitted variety and promotion
of improved sorghum technologies via large scale demonstration has shown a considerable yield increment as compared to
farmers practices. According to the farmers’ trait preference, Melkam variety
was preferred by farmers because of its high yielding, consumption quality,
early maturity, palatability, and drought-tolerant traits respectively. For
sustainable production of improved sorghum technologies, the seed system should
be taken into consideration to deliver the seed supply for the entire sorghum
producers.