Soil Nutrient Flows and Balances in Mixed Farming Systems of Southern Ethiopia

Understanding nutrient imbalances is crucial to devising effective remedies for smallholder farmers. This study aims to investigate nutrient flows and balances in mixed farming systems in southern Ethiopia, focusing on the effects of crop type and socioeconomic conditions. Three agroecologies were considered: cool humid mid‐highlands, tepid subhumid mid‐highlands, and tepid moist mid‐highlands. Nutrient flow was monitored over 12 months in 2023 in 270 farm plots. The results showed that the highest nitrogen and phosphorus flows came from inorganic and organic fertilizers, whereas potassium was applied solely through organic fertilizers. Rich farmers applied the most nutrients, followed by those with medium resources. Nutrient outflows were the highest during crop harvest, followed by leaching, soil erosion, and gaseous losses. The highest negative nutrient balance occurred in the tepid subhumid mid‐highlands (−37.9 kg N, −2.90 kg P, and −18.55 kg K ha −1 yr −1 ), followed by the cool humid mid‐highlands (−33.02 kg N, −1.10 kg P, and −18.66 kg K ha −1 yr −1 ) and the tepid moist mid‐highlands (−21.80 kg N, −8.90 kg P, and −25.49 kg K ha −1 yr −1 ). Potato and cereal crop fields had the highest nutrient outflows, while enset showed a positive nutrient balance, except for K. The rich farmers had higher negative nutrient balances than the medium‐wealth and poor farmers. Thus to address these imbalances, it is recommended to integrate nutrient management practices that combine organic and inorganic inputs, residue management, and soil conservation, tailored to socioeconomic and agroecological contexts.