[01] Motuma Chimdi, Department of Soil Resource and Water Shade Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, Wollega University, Shambu, Ethiopia. [02] Oljira Kenea, Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia. [03] Tena Regasa, Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Wollega University, Nekemte, Ethiopia.

Termite mound soils (TMS) are utilized as degraded top soil amendment and an alternative to chemical fertilizer for growing crops in some small holder farmers in Africa. However empirical studies on the use of mound soil for production of crops are scanty in African countries including Ethiopia. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of TMS on growth and total root yield of Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam) as compared to adjacent soil with and without application of inorganic fertilizer (NPK) in Gudeya Bila district, Western Ethiopia. A field experiment was carried out during main cropping season in 2019 at three farmers’ fields. The treatment combinations were arranged in a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replications with sweet potato as testing root crop. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) which was done by using Genstat software 18th Edition. Results showed that on average, significantly higher dry biomass weight (1750±76.4gm/plot) and total root yield (4066.7±23.3gm/plot) of the sweet potato grown in TMS were observed than in adjacent soil with NPK in which dry biomass weight (1533.3±88.2 gm/plot) and root yields (3043.3±26.1 gm/plot) were recorded. But in the control soil, dry biomass (1360±23.1gm/plot) and total root yield (2873.3±16.6 gm/plot) of the plant were recorded. In conclusion, TMS is a promising potential alternative fertilizer for growing root crops such as Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) which are favorite cultural crops in the study setting.

Adjacent Soil, Gudeya Billa, Sweet Potato, Termite Mound Soil

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