In Ethiopia, food insecurity has always been a burning problem. The gap between demand
for and supply of food can be minimized through protecting and managing soil fertility and
thereby increasing productivity of crops. This study was conducted in major maize growing
areas of southern Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to assess soil fertility
management options available to smallholder farmers and identify the factors that affect
their decision making to apply a given alternative in maize crop. The study was based on
the cross sectional data obtained from a random sample of 385 smallholder farmers. A
multinomial logit model was employed to identify socioeconomic, institutional and
environmental factors determining farmers’ decision regarding the choice of a particular soil
fertility management option. The result indicated that size of farm, access to credit,
availability of extension services and training pertaining to soil fertility management were
important factors affecting the decision to use a particular soil fertility management
practice.