Optimizing fertilization schemes to narrow the maize yield gap in smallholder farming systems in southern Ethiopia.

Maize ( L.) is an important food crop in Ethiopia, but productivity is low mainly due to low soil fertility and suboptimal fertilization. Therefore, this study aims to determine the yield, nutrient use efficiency and economic feasibility of maize production under various fertilizer applications and test the suitability of the Quantitative Evaluation of the Fertility in Tropical Soils (QUEFTS) model for predicting maize yield response to fertilization in Sidama region, southern Ethiopia.