Assessment the Status of Soil Acidity and Its Management Practices Under Different Land Use Types: The Case of Wondo Village of Gombora District, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil acidity is associated with infertility and mineral toxicities are major constraints affect agricultural production and productivity of the soil in humid area of Ethiopia. The problems in the study area were high rainfall followed erosion and leaching, intensive cultivation and inappropriate use of acid forming fertilizers and removal of crop residues for livestock feed and fire wood consumption might be aggravating soil acidity. The study was aimed to assessment the status of soil acidity and its management practices under different land use types in the case of the Wondo village of Gombora District, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected by using X-design format from four different land use types: home garden, cultivated land, grazing land and eucalyptus plantation and two soil depths were considering for this study. A total of 24 composite soil samples were taken from four land use types X two soil depths by three replications in the study area and analyzed in laboratory for soil physio-chemical properties. While household survey data were collected from108 sample respondents by using both primary and secondary sources of data was analyzed by using statistical tool SAS version 9.3 and SPSS version-20 for this study. The results indicated that cultivated land and eucalyptus plantation were strongly acidic (pH 5.15 and 5.32) and highest mean value of exchangeable acidity and acid saturation percentage were (4.6, 4.59cmol (+) Kg-1 ) and (47.85, 46.96%) respectively. Whereas grazing land was moderately acidic (pH 5.63) and home garden soil was slightly acidic (pH 6.67). However, the home garden soils had statistically significant (p<0.01) lower exchangeable acidity (0.64 cmol (+) kg-1 ) and acid saturation percentage (2.61%). The soil texture of sand and clay were affected by the main effects of land use types and soil depths, similarly, soil bulk density. However, OM, TN and available phosphorus were significantly (p<0.01) affected by main effects and interaction of land use by soil depths. Although, soil pH (H2O and KCl), exchangeable acidity, acid saturation, exchangeable base, CEC and base saturation significantly (p<0.01) affected by both main effect and interaction effects of two factors. The highest mean value of OM, TN and available phosphorus were recorded at the surface soil of home garden, whereas, the highest mean value of exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K), CEC and base saturation percentage were recorded at subsurface layer of the home garden land. Although, 57.4% respondents’ were aware of soil acidity problem on their land whereas 32.4% % farmers’ were unaware of soil acidity problem on their land, and also 10.2% of respondents didn’t realize neither existence nor absence of soil acidity problems in their land use types. Thus, their action to offset the soil acidity problems by use of farmyard manure, agroforestry system, acid tolerant crops and lime application respectively. Therefore, based on the findings of current study, the difference in status of soil acidity in different land use types is more likely due to the differences in the vital management practices. Cultivated land was beyond acidity tolerance limit of locally produced crops in the study area. Therefore, it should be advisable to, ameliorate soil acidity problems immediate use of farmyard manure and lime application should be encouraged on cultivated land for crop production. Moreover, remarkable consideration should be given to land management options for sustainable productivity of soils in cultivated land.