Response Farming and Dry Soil Planting to Counter Climate Variability in Africa.

Farmers in water limited environments of Ethiopia adjust their management practices according to weather conditions of the current season, including situations where rainfall distribution is slightly bi-modal. While climate variability has always been a challenge, farmers claim that it has been more serious in recent years. Planting of maize or long-season sorghum on some valley soils can occur already in April and, depending on success of crop establishment, farmers may plant teff or bean as late mid-July. In the meantime, farmers decisions on crop and variety choice and fertilizer use varies according to the developing weather conditions and success with earlier plantings. Farmers also respond to variable on-set of rainfall by dry soil planting. Recent research findings are that maize and sorghum establishment were best with dry soil planting by planting at 7- and 5-cm depth, respectively. In other research, dry soil planting was found to have a high probability of success, even when done before the expected on-set of rainfall. Dry soil planting should begin no later than the date of 50 probability for on-set of rainfall. Conservation agriculture has potential to add resilience to cropping systems although there has not been significant adoption by smallholder farmers in Ethiopia.