Soro is one of the administrative districts of Hadiyya zone which is located in south central Ethiopia. It is situated approximately 272 km southwest of Addis Ababa and in a close proximity to the Gimicho town. Sibiya Arera is geographically located in 7° 9′ 0″–7° 11′ 0″ N latitude and 37° 52′ 30″–37° 54′ 0″ E longitude (Figure 1 ).
Rainfall distribution in the study area is bimodal, characterized by heavy rainy season from June to September, and light rainy season from March to May. The annual long term average rainfall is 1,107 mm and peak rainfall in September. The long term average annual temperature is 17.2°C [10 (link)]. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 15.98°C in December to 18.91°C in March (Figure 2 ). These favorable climatic conditions and high population have made the district to be one of the intensively cultivated areas in the south central highlands of Ethiopia. Rain-fed agriculture is the only source of livelihood for the majority of population. It is characterized by a smallholder mixed crop-livestock production.
Soil is a good indicator of the influence of soil parent material and the spatial variability in the degree of weathering, geological, and other factors are responsible for soil formation and development [11 ]. The dominant soil type of the study area is Nitisols that cover extensive areas of agricultural fields are highly suitable for crop production. The local geology is characterized by volcanic basalt flows and Cenozoic pyroclastic fall deposits [10 (link)].
The major land use/land cover types in the district include cultivated land, grazing land, forest land, and built-up areas. Cultivated land is the dominant land use type with 50,454 hectares (73.3% of the total area). At the present time, the local community has been implementing different practices to protect the adverse effect of erosion on their farmland and to improve soil fertility. Sibiya Arera is one of the areas with better implementation of soil and water conservation practices. Model farmers adopted biological and physical conservation practices, however, there is still land without conservation technologies which owned by reluctant farmers showing no willingness to implement soil and water conservation measures.
The farming system of the study area is mainly subsistence farming based on mixed crop-livestock production. Major crops grown in the area include wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), and teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter). All farmers of the area have been practicing rain-fed agriculture based on continuous cultivation. Previously, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea were the main fertilizer types used by a large number of people. However, currently, farmers in the study area have started to use blended fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur (NPS), and nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and boron (NPSB).
Arable lands are composed of the landscape without conservation practice, physical soil and water conservation structures (fanya juu), and physical soil and water conservation structures combined with biological practices (fanya juu stabilized with desho grass). Soil and water conservation practices are mechanisms used to reduce erosion and associated nutrient loss, reducing the risk of production; however, are not constructed in some agricultural lands in the study area. As a result soil erosion is major deterioration processes which lead to soil degradation and declining agricultural productivity in nonconserved agricultural land. Fanya juu structures integrated with biological practices are permanent features made of earth, designed to protect the soil from uncontrolled runoff and erosion and retain water where needed. It seeks to increase the amount of water seeping into the soil, reducing the speed and amount of water running off. Erosion is prevented by keeping enough vegetation cover on embankment to protect the soil surface and binds the soil together and maintains soil structure.
Rainfall distribution in the study area is bimodal, characterized by heavy rainy season from June to September, and light rainy season from March to May. The annual long term average rainfall is 1,107 mm and peak rainfall in September. The long term average annual temperature is 17.2°C [10 (link)]. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 15.98°C in December to 18.91°C in March (
Soil is a good indicator of the influence of soil parent material and the spatial variability in the degree of weathering, geological, and other factors are responsible for soil formation and development [11 ]. The dominant soil type of the study area is Nitisols that cover extensive areas of agricultural fields are highly suitable for crop production. The local geology is characterized by volcanic basalt flows and Cenozoic pyroclastic fall deposits [10 (link)].
The major land use/land cover types in the district include cultivated land, grazing land, forest land, and built-up areas. Cultivated land is the dominant land use type with 50,454 hectares (73.3% of the total area). At the present time, the local community has been implementing different practices to protect the adverse effect of erosion on their farmland and to improve soil fertility. Sibiya Arera is one of the areas with better implementation of soil and water conservation practices. Model farmers adopted biological and physical conservation practices, however, there is still land without conservation technologies which owned by reluctant farmers showing no willingness to implement soil and water conservation measures.
The farming system of the study area is mainly subsistence farming based on mixed crop-livestock production. Major crops grown in the area include wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), and teff (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter). All farmers of the area have been practicing rain-fed agriculture based on continuous cultivation. Previously, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea were the main fertilizer types used by a large number of people. However, currently, farmers in the study area have started to use blended fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur (NPS), and nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and boron (NPSB).
Arable lands are composed of the landscape without conservation practice, physical soil and water conservation structures (fanya juu), and physical soil and water conservation structures combined with biological practices (fanya juu stabilized with desho grass). Soil and water conservation practices are mechanisms used to reduce erosion and associated nutrient loss, reducing the risk of production; however, are not constructed in some agricultural lands in the study area. As a result soil erosion is major deterioration processes which lead to soil degradation and declining agricultural productivity in nonconserved agricultural land. Fanya juu structures integrated with biological practices are permanent features made of earth, designed to protect the soil from uncontrolled runoff and erosion and retain water where needed. It seeks to increase the amount of water seeping into the soil, reducing the speed and amount of water running off. Erosion is prevented by keeping enough vegetation cover on embankment to protect the soil surface and binds the soil together and maintains soil structure.
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