SOIL EROSION AND SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON CULTIVATED LAND: THE CASE OF ADOLA REDE DISTRICT, SOUTHEAST, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Soil erosion is serious problem in many parts of Ethiopia. Including south east of Ethiopia situated on jemjem plateaus of Guji. Previously, numerous soil and water conservation practices were introduced and implemented in Ethiopia. Still, those technologies failed to get acceptance of the land users because of their limitations and constraints. The study was also intended on the cultivate land;.Causes of soil erosion were all variables statistically significant influences on Soil and Water conservation practices, that means all have similar mean values ranging within ( 3.5-4.19) .This means tells all listed variables have sensible causes of soil erosion. The findings are more emphasized and analyzed qualitatively in light of primary sources gathered by Questionnaires, interview and focus group discussion from 132 household of participants were selected by simple random sampling while 8 key informants 3 Developmental agents, 3 Kebele Managers, 1 Woreda Agricultural Experts, and 1 Woreda Agricultural Office Heads) were purposefully selected from three (3) Woreda kebeles. On the other hand, secondary sources were used in order to address the basic objectives of the research. To this end, the study used simple random sampling, technique for collecting data from the study area.The findings of this study indicated that the status of soil erosion is a problem of farm plots are the major problems of the study area. The trends of Soil erosion were a problem of farm plots of study area with 88(66.7%) increasing and the level of soil erosion were 85(64.4 %). The local people in the study area were taken different measures to conserve SWC management practices for subsistence farming and cattle. In addition to this, demographic, socio-economic and institutional factors influence the investment of households commit to soil and water conservation measures. Farmers' level of perception on soil erosion, farmers experience in farming and extension service given by development agents increases the likelihood of adoption of soil and water conservation practices measures by the farmers. On the other hand, the challenges of SWC have a negative and significant influence on the adoption of soil and water conservation activities in the study area. In order to improve SWC practices; policy makers, extension experts and development agents should give due attention for those significant variables that determine farmers, adoption of SWC measures.