An Assessment of Soil Fertility Management Practices in Central Dry Zone of Myanmar

Abstract: This study was carried out in two villages in central dry zone of Myanmar to assess farmers' soil fertility management strategies and practices and their influencing factors. Kanswe village had irrigation water availability due to dam constructed by the governmetn and the Inganet village had reservor built by the villagers themselves which are reffered in this study as government irrigation project (GIP) and local irrigation project (LIP) respectively. Excel spreadsheet and SPSS were used for analyzing data. Qualitative techniques were used for descriptive data. Independent sample t-test was carried out where comparison was needed for dependent and independent variables. The main locally adopted soil fertility management practices (SFMPs) include the application of farmyard manure (FYM), green manuring, the use of chemical fertilizers, crop rotations, crop residues management and water saving techniques. Study found that inorganic fertilizer application has increased. Critical issues for soil fertility management in the areas were water scarcity, soil salinity, soil erosion, high price of chemical fertilizer and financial problems. There is a need to promote integrated plant nutrient management systems (IPNMS) in both the project areas.