Laboratory evaluation, purpose of production and utilization of cattle manure in enset (Ensete ventricosum) based mixed production systems of Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in four districts of Gurage zone in Sothern Ethiopia to determine the N, P, K, organic carbon and nitrogen of cattle manure. Seventy two households, 36 from highland and 36 from midaltitude were randomly selected from a total of 360 sample households selected for the study. Around 88.05% of farmers in the study areas were keeping cattle for high demand of manure to fertilize enset fields and for milk production. There were no practices of using cattle dung as fuel or dung cake for sale. The sampled manure had nitrogen content of 2.68% and C/N ratio of 11:1 in highland and 2.24% with C/N ratio of 12:1 in mid-altitude. The organic matter obtained from manure in highland and midaltitude, respectively, were 51.89 and 44.82%. The gram of N, P, K, kg-1 DM of manure, respectively, were 26.8, 16.5 and 1.6 for highland and 22.4, 12.6 and1.2 for midaltitude. To realize production sustainability of enset system, cattle manure was found to be of paramount importance. Therefore, appropriate interventions in cattle production and forage development are the prime necessity to realize sustainability in enset production and households’ food security. Key words: Cattle manure, Gurage Zone NPK, organic carbon, organic matter.