Impact of Long-Term Conventional Cropping Practices on Some Soil Quality Indicators at Ethiopian Wonji Sugarcane Plantation

Sugar cane production is one of the largest and most important agro-industries around the world in general and in developing countries in particular. Nowadays, sugar cane is considered as a Dollar Earner for tropical countries due to its immense potential to generate hard currency . Therefore, achieving sustainable cane production is an increasingly important goal in recent years so as to exploit this potential. However, in several sugar cane producing countries around the world, decline in sugar cane yield appears to be the major preoccupation of the agroindustry.

Likewise, sugar cane yield decline is currently becoming the major area of attention in the Ethiopian sugar cane plantations. Although, Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest sugar cane yield in the world the yield has been declining already for many years. For instance over the last 50 years, the cane yield per ha in Wonji sugar cane plantation has dropped by about 40%.

Thus, the future viability of the agro-industry will be doubtful unless the yield decline could be stopped. Therefore, identifying and understanding the cause of the yield decline has paramount importance to design and recommend appropriate management strategies. This is particularly essential in view of the current Ethiopian government ambitious plan to augment the sugar production capacity of the country.

Read More...