Review on effects of integrated soil fertility management on sustainable crop production in Ethiopia

Soil fertility decline is the main issue in African agriculture in general and in Ethiopian in particular. Farmers in most parts of the country actually work hard, in seasons of the year when the rainfall is favorable for their cropping. Declining of soil fertility is a fundamental problem to agricultural growth and a major reason for slow growth of food production. Most of the soils in Northern Ethiopia are low in soil OM, CEC, and fertility. So this review try review and compile findings related to the importance of integrated soil fertility management and revise the limitations of using sole organic or inorganic fertilizer. In this review it indicated that integrated use of all these soil management factors helps to reduce considerable amount of inorganic fertilizers. To improve crop yield, application of organic and inorganic resources is very crucial. If it is applied in combination by following considering the biological, physical and chemical property of the soil, it reduces the cost of the commercial fertilizer and improve SOM content and increase the yields of the crop.