Double-Crop Technology Demonstration and Promotion in Mieso District, Oromia Region, Eastern Ethiopia (Published)
Double cropping is one of the techniques used in multi-cropping. Multi-cropping refers to the various ways farmers can use a single piece of land in a particular time period, often a growing season. The double crop technology demonstration started in November 2020 and ended in November 2022 and aimed for the promotion and demonstration of suitable input and location-specific technology packages for intensive sorghum-producing areas in Mieso District with the objective of promoting double crop technology through increasing the yields of participant farmers. It was being implemented in three villages, namely Huse, Tekuma, and Hund Misoma, for a period of three cropping seasons. From those villages, 72 farmers were purposefully selected. The demonstration process included focus group discussions, stakeholder planning, the establishment of technology demonstration farms, an establishment advisory service team, capacity enhancement for extension workers and farmers, development promotion materials, monitoring and evaluation, field days, partnership, link aging, and organizing farmers. Melkam improved sorghum variety and N26-improved mung beans were used for the technology demonstration. The productivity of improved mung bean resulted in average yields of 9.5 qt/ha, 9.25 qt/ha, and 1.15 qt/ha in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. Whereas for improved sorghum, average grain yields of 36 qt/ha, 39 qt/ha, and 42 qt/ha were recorded, respectively. There was a significant mean difference in three series production years in terms of mean yield per hectare at the 1% significance level. The technology shows their potential, and smallholder farmers have economically benefited. Finally, the technology advertising approach used has proven to be effective and efficient in marketing double crop technologies for high-yielding sorghum and mung bean cultivation. Double crop technology were more accepted and appreciated by farmers than sol cropping because they produced twice per single season. As a result, farmers in similar conditions should follow the double cropping technology to increase their grain yields as well as their incomes.
Keywords: Demonstration, Descriptive Statistics, double cropping technology