Drought is a constant problem of crop and livestock production in Ethiopia. It is especially important in the lowland and mid-altitude regions of the country. Severe droughts now occur frequently. In the north eastern Amhara Region of Ethiopia, crop production is mainly rainfall dependent. Use of irrigation is confined to small area which are adjacent to main rivers. Where irrigation is available, farmers grow high value crops such as tomato, onion, green maize, cabbage, carrot, lettuce and tropical fruit to earn cash.
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In the north eastern Amhara region drought has historically caused multidimensional economic, social, and environmental disruption. Poor crop production and productivity, the absence of agriculture based industries, reduced employment in agriculture, increased costs of transport for water and food, and strains on financial institutions are typically among the major drought induced economic problems. Drought causes negative social impacts leading to shifting settlements, disintegration of extended families, social losses, change in social values, disruption of sociocultural institutions, disturbance of inter-caste relations, and conflicts are water and other resources among communities. The most severe socio-economic impacts of drought have been the loss of crop and livestock genetic resources, increased prevalence of diseases and insect pests, poor crop performance, high levels of livestock mortality, forced sale of land and sale of household and personal assets and water insecurity. During severe drought conditions, loss of crop diversity, removal of vegetation, overgrazing, wind erosion, increased areas of abandoned and barren lands, and over-exploitation of ground water are among the most negative bio- physical impacts of drought.
Some crops that were common in the past have become rare as a result of high temperatures coupled with regular severe droughts. Focus group discussions revealed that farmers‟ crop choices were thus apparently made on the basis of ecological potential, historical antecedents, and the relative economic and social pay-off of different options. Farmers in the study area indicated that sorghum diversity had been drastically affected by drought. The farmers reported that several replanting (two to three times) in the year of drought exhausted their seed stock of valuable local sorghum varieties. Drought also had highly significant effects on the composition of natural vegetation, structure and function (Allen et al., 2010). It also adversely affects photosynthesis and increases species mortality by creating conditions conducive to the increase of plant insect pests and diseases, leading extensive plant mortality, endangering the survival of plant species and accelerating the loss of biodiversity (Wang et al., 2010). In the three surveyed zones in North eastern Amhara Region farmers were able to identify local sorghum landraces lost as a result of the adverse effect of drought (Table 2.11). According to Lanta et al. (2012) extreme conditions of drought and high temperatures aggravate the extinction of species.
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Table 2.11 Names of farmers‟ sorghum varieties lost as a result of severe drought conditions in the north eastern Amhara Region of Ethiopia.
Zone Name of local sorghum varieties lost due to drought North Wello Abola, Kuchibeye Jameyo, Arate Afa Chibete
Tekureta, Chobye, Workeye Zengada, Kolebo Rayo, Melete Degalet, Tati, Jeru, Marute South Wello Keteto, Gorade, Marute, Gurendo, Achier jamo
Nech jeru, Keye Wogene, Tengele, Marute Oromia Special Jarse, Marchuke
2.9.1 Drought adaptation and mitigation mechanisms
There were highly significant differences (P≤0.05) on the ranking of major drought adaption and mitigation practices used by farmers in the lowland sorghum agro-ecologies of north eastern Amhara Region (Table 2.12). To reduce the effects of drought, farmers apply various drought mitigation and adaptation strategies. Most interviewed farmers (69.2%) indicated that planting of medium-maturing sorghum landraces such as Jameyo, Jegurete and Cherekit was their first way of avoiding drought stress. Growing medium maturity sorghum varieties was considered to be the most successful drought coping strategy in the study areas. The listed sorghum landraces have the capability of adapting to late planting with relatively early maturity when compared to long cycle sorghum landraces that are usually affected by both pre-flowering and post-flowering drought stress. All interviewed farmers indicated that they cultivated a mixture of sorghum landraces with different maturity periods in a single field as a second option in order to achieve a reasonable yield. Repeated field ploughing before sorghum planting to increase water holding capacity of the soil and diversion of flood waters into sorghum fields time of heavy rainfall events were the most important drought mitigation mechanisms reported by 64.3 % and 58.9% of interviewed farmers, respectively (Table 2.12). These methods increase moisture in the soil to cope with the uneven rainfall rates in the season planting early maturing sorghum varieties is the fourth drought mitigation option reported by 82.2% of respondent farmers while crop rotation, particularly alternate cultivation of sorghum with tef was regarded a fifth option that was practiced by a significant percentage of respondent farmers (79.2%). Growing sorghum with a reduced plant population during periods of moisture stress was among the drought mitigation
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mechanisms adopted to ensure maximum productivity of the remaining plants with compensatory yield gains per unit area. Reduced plant population is perceived to be associated with big panicle size and consequently providing better yield in drought prone areas of the north eastern Amhara Region.
Table 2.12 Drought adaptation and mitigation mechanisms used by farmers at three study sites of the north eastern Amhara Region of Ethiopia during 2015
Drought coping mechanisms Percentage of respondents who
ranked a coping strategy
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total Growing early-maturing improved sorghum varieties 0.0 0.0 19.8 80.2 100.0 Growing medium-maturing local sorghum landraces 69.2 30.8 0.0 0.0 100.0
Replacing sorghum with other crops 0.0 0.0 79.2 20.8 100.0
Diverting flood waters into sorghum fields 41.1 58.9 0.0 0.0 100.0
Reducing plant populations 0.0 20.0 80.0 0.0 100.0
Repeating ploughing of the soil before planting 0.0 64.3 35.7 0.0 100.0 Mixing varied maturity sorghum landraces 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 100.0
Regular weeding 0.0 0.0 9.1 90.9 100.0
Significance df=21 X2=1075.848a P-value = 0.000