Declining soil quality is among the factors leading to low crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, a 2 year on farm field experiment was carried out in Ethiopia to test whether integration of organic and inorganic fertilizer inputs increases soil quality, the nutrient balance and maize yields. Treatment combinations included 2 and 4 t ha⁻¹ of compost (Com) and farm yard manure (FYM), and 50 and 100% of the recommended inorganic fertilizer (RIF). The treatments were laid out on 11 farmer fields where each farm served as a replicate. About 40% yield increase was recorded due to the combined use of 4 t ha⁻¹ of Com along with 50% RIF compared to the 100% RIF. Soil quality was significantly improved in the top 20 cm of the soil due to application of FYM or Com combined with 50% RIF. Carbon and Nitrogen stocks were respectively 86 and 175% higher in the 4 t Com + 50% RIF compared to the control with no significant variation between farms. Further, the N and P partial balances were between 12.2 and 41.6 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 10.2 and 17.4 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ for N and P, respectively implying that the sites showed N and P-accumulations over the study period. Results suggest that nutrient depletion can be mitigated in smallholder systems through the use of locally available organic inputs, hence longer-term productivity of smallholders can be sustained.

土壤质量下降是导致撒哈拉以南非洲作物产量低下的因素之一。在这项研究中，在埃塞俄比亚进行了为期 2 年的农田试验，以测试有机和无机肥料投入的整合是否能提高土壤质量、养分平衡和玉米产量。处理组合包括 2 和 4 t ha ^-1堆肥 (Com) 和农家肥 (FYM)，以及 50% 和 100% 的推荐无机肥料 (RIF)。处理布置在 11 个农田上，每个农田作为一个重复。由于联合使用 4 t ha ^-1Com 以及 50% RIF 与 100% RIF 相比。由于施用 FYM 或 Com 结合 50% RIF，土壤表层 20 cm 的土壤质量显着改善。与对照相比，4 t Com + 50% RIF 的碳和氮储量分别高出 86% 和 175%，农场之间没有显着差异。此外，N 和 P 部分平衡在 12.2 和 41.6 kg ha ^-1 年^-1和 10.2 和 17.4 kg ha ^-1 年^{-1 之间}对于 N 和 P，分别意味着这些地点在研究期间显示了 N 和 P 积累。结果表明，小农系统中的养分消耗可以通过使用当地可用的有机投入物来缓解，因此小农的长期生产力可以得到维持。