Soil Conservation Experiments on Cultivated Land in the Maybar Area, Wello Region, Ethiopia•
| dc.contributor.advisor | Hurni, Hans (PhD) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Tesfaye, Mulugeta | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-03-24T07:32:21Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-19T12:04:34Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-03-24T07:32:21Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-19T12:04:34Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1988-06 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Soil conservation experiments consisting 6 plots (five of them treated and one untreated control plot) were established in 1986 in the Maybar area to identify the most suitable soil conservation measure(s) for the area and other similar areas in Wello region. The plots (each 30m long and 6m wide) are placed side by side on a 28% slope with a well-drained, highly stony, HAPLIC PHAEOZEM of about 60 cm depth . The treatments are Level Bund, Graded Bund, Level Fanya juu, Graded Fanya juu and Grass Strip. Soil loss and runoff measurements from the experimental plots were made during 65 rainfall events with a total rainfall amount and erosivity (EI30) of 2098mm and 876 Joules m- i h- i , respectively. 41 of the 65 rainfall periods having a total rainfall amount and EI30 value of l29lmm and 516 Joules m- i h- i respectively were monitored in 1986. The rest (24 rainfall events with rainfall amount and EI30 of 8Q7mm. and 360 Joules m- i h .- i , respectively) occurred in 1987. The observed annual soil loss values from all experimental plots are below the tolerance level. between experimental plots. Yet, significant differences exist The graded Bund showed distinctivelyhigher soil loss in both 1986 and 1987 amounting to 5.15 tons/ha and 1 . 66 tons/ha, respectively. The t hree level soil conservation measures (Level Fanya juu, Grass Strip and Level Bund) consistently showed significantly lower annual soil loss values in both the years amounting to 0.49, 0 . 84 and 1.04 tons/ha, respectively in 1986 and to 0.15, 0.40 and 0.54 tons/ha in 1987. The control plot showed an annual soil loss of 2.02 tons/ha (which was less than half of the annual soil loss of the Graded Bund) in 1986 and of 1 . 1 tons/ha in 1987 . Crop cover (as the major factor), high surface stoniness of the experimental plots which encouraged infiltr ation of rainwater into the soil and the dominance of low - erosivity rains during the study period were observed to have resulted in very low soil losses during individual rainfall events . Under the rainfall conditions observed in 1986 and 1987, vegetative cover together with the high surface stoniness on the experimental plots have been sufficient to reduce soil loss from the plots to values below the tolerance level. However, soil loss data collected from test plots in the Maybar area showed that extreme years will produce upto 100 times more erosion than during the study period. As a result of the experiments, it is concluded that in the Maybar area and in the whole eastern escarpment of Wello, the choice should be for agronomic soil conservation measures . These have to be supported by physical soil conservation measures (Level Fanya juu, Grass Strip a nd Leve l Bund) on steep slopes (15 to 50%) since test plot data have shown that extreme years will result in soil losses much higher than those observed during the study period. However, even where the physical meaures are applied, the stress should be on reducing inter-terrace erosion by means of agronomic measures | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/30803 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Soil Conservation Experiments on Culti Vated Land | en_US |
| dc.title | Soil Conservation Experiments on Cultivated Land in the Maybar Area, Wello Region, Ethiopia• | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |