Evaluating community based physical soil and water conservation practices emphasis on technical fitness and its effect on soil properties in the case of lemo district, southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil erosion is revealed in the form of soil fertility reduction, a main environmental and agricultural productivity risk in Ethiopia. To overcome the problem of soil erosion soil bund was implemented in Lemo District, Hadiya Zone, SNNPRS. The general objective is to assess the technical fitness of community based conservation practice on selected soil physicochemical properties and this structure as a physical soil and water conservation practices. To achieve the objectives the Soil samples were collected from the selected croplands accompanied with soil bund situated at MSS, SS and GS with the sample distance between bunds of three replications from the depth of 0-15cm. To determine soil fertility status of cropland conservation practices, 27 composite soil samples were analyzed for soil texture, MC, Bd, pH, EC, SOC, TN, C:N ,Av.P and CEC. The laboratory analysis was conducted at Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine and Wolaita Sodo soil laboratories. To assess technical fitness of graded soil bund conservation practices, field observation and measurements were conducted in nine fields in the three villages.Moreover, questionnaire survey was carried out for 129 household to identify the factors that affect farmers levels of participation of the conservation activities as a physical SWC practices in the District.Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 20. The laboratory results were tested for mean separation using LSD, for technical fitness used one sample t-test used to compare the observed means with the standards and information gathered through questionnaire analyzed using independent t-test and chi-square test.The result showed that cropland with soil bund had significantly (P<0.05) variation values at slope position except Av.P and C:N. Higher mean values Bd at MSS compared to the values for the rest slope positions. Mean pH a value at GS position was significantly higher compared to the SS and MSS. The trend was similar for EC,SOC,TN and CEC.In addition, result of interaction effects at slope positions with sample distance from soil bund has significant (P < 0.05) effect on clay content,SOC and CEC at gently sloping position whereas CEC at moderately steep slope.The technical fitness of implemented conservation practices were lack of the structures design association with standards. The survey results display that the majority of farmers were implementedsoil bund practices on their cropland.But, there were limiting factors such as land size, training, contact with extension agent and slope of cropland significantly influence farmers implementation of physical SWC practices. Take care of croplands with suitable maintenance and supervision of the soil bunds for long time could improve the soil properties thereby increasing soil productivity. More essentially inappropriate extension approach employed for the support of the SWC technology was recognized as reason for technical problems and nonparticipant of soil bund in the study area.Therefore, improve farmers involvement in soil conservation practice through facilitate good contact of DAs and SWC experts, continuing technical support and follow up is the better to reduce the loss of soil from cropland.