Assessing the Sustainability of Maize Production Under Various Crop Management Practices Using a Multi-Criteria Assessment Approach

In this study, the sustainability of maize production with farmer’s practice (FP) and with redesigned plant density and fertilizer use were assessed at a household level based on social, agronomic, economic, and environmental principles. Farmers’ preference, household grain (maize) self-sufficiency, gross margin, and nitrogen use efficiency were used as indicators for social, agronomic, economic, and environmental principles, respectively. The results revealed that the preference of redesigned density and redesigned fertilizer use (RDRF) was 95% and 100% in CRV and Jimma, respectively, whereas the preference of FP was 45% and 20% in the respective regions. With all production technologies, farmers in both regions could achieve their family grain self-sufficiency. The grain self-sufficiency in CRV was 2.47 t household−1 year−1 whereas in Jimma, the grain self-sufficiency was 1.77 t household−1 year−1. In CRV, RDRF, redesigned density and current fertilizer (RDCF), and current density redesigned fertilizer (CDRF) were economically viable. However, in Jimma, less than 50% of households profited from RDRF and CDRF. In CRV, maize production using all crop management practices was associated with soil mining, whereas in Jimma, the use of RDRF resulted in 18% environmental sustainability. It is concluded that producing maize with RDRF is sustainable from social, agronomic, and economic perspectives whereas producing maize with FP is sustainable only from the agronomic dimension. Further redesigning maize management practices is of paramount important for achieving economic and environmental sustainability dimensions in CRV and Jimma in Ethiopia.