Effect of soil and water conservation practices and slope gradient on organic carbon stocks micronutrients: A case study on Kulkullessa sub-watershed, Eastern Ethiopia

Authors

  • Abduletif Mume ABDURAHMAN Haramaya University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa (ET) https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9818-4551
  • Samuel FEYISSA Haramaya University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa (ET) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9041-2919
  • Benson TURYASINGURA Haramaya University, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia; Kabale University, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, P.O. Box 317, Kikungiri, Kabale, Uganda (ET) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1325-4483
  • Abebe ASCHALEW Bahir Dar University, College of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Department of Soil Science, Bahir Dar (ET) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7152-9791
  • Petros CHAVULA Haramaya University, Africa Canter of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, P.O. Box 138, Haramaya, Oromia Region (ET) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-8233

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55779/ng41167

Keywords:

climate change, carbon stock, smart agriculture, physicochemical properties, micronutrients

Abstract

Soil degradation in sub-Saharan Africa is a serious problem that causes declines in agricultural productivity linked to hunger and poverty. The study was conducted in the Kulkullessa sub-watershed of Goro Gutu District in Eastern Ethiopia to assess the effects of climate-smart soil and water conservation (SWC) practices and slope gradient on selected physicochemical properties of the soil and the soil’s organic carbon stocks. The farmland conserved by stone bund (SB), bench terrace (BT), and gras strip (GS) five years after construction with two slope gradients (15-20%) and (21-30%) was selected. Twenty-four composite soil samples were collected from a depth of 20 cm and tested in the Haramaya University soil laboratory. The study found that climate-smart SWC practices were very effective on the soil physicochemical properties and soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) of the study area. Similarly, the slope gradient brought considerable variation in soil physicochemical properties and soil organic carbon stock. On farmland that a bench terrace had preserved, the bulk density (BD) value was lower. The recorded value for total porosity on the farmland conserved by BT was also positively higher and significant (p ≤ 0.05). Likewise, the higher mean values for micronutrients and SOCS were recorded on farmlands conserved by SB, BT, and GS in contrast to the values recorded on non-conserved farmland (NCF) in the study area. Based on the study findings, climate-smart soil water and conservation practices have outstanding potential for improving soil physicochemical properties essential for agricultural crop production, climate change adaptation, and strengthening smallholder farmers’ resilience.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Abay C, Abdu A, Tefera M (2016). Effects of graded stone bunds on selected soil properties in the central highlands of Ethiopia. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management 1(2):42-50.

Amare D, Wondie M, Mekuria W, Darr D (2019). Agroforestry of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia: practices and benefits. Small-Scale Forestry 18(1):39-56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-018-9405-6

Aweke MG (2017). Climate Smart Agriculture in Ethiopia. Climate Smart Agriculture Country Profiles for Africa Series. CIAT; BFS/USAID International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT); Bureau for Food Security, United States Agency for International Development (BFS/USAID), Washington, D.C. 26 p.

Banerjee A, Ariz D, Turyasingura B, Pathak S, Sajjad W, Yadav N, Kirsten KL (2024). Long-term climate change and anthropogenic activities together with regional water resources and agricultural productivity in Uganda using Google Earth Engine. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 134:103545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2024.103545

Bayle D, Feyissa S, Tamiru S (2023). Effects of land use and slope position on selected soil physicochemical properties in Tekorsh Sub-Watershed, East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. Open Agriculture 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/opag-2022-0147

Boer BW, Ginzky H, Heuser IL (2017). International soil protection law: History, concepts and latest developments. In: Ginzky H, Heuser IL, Qin T, Ruppel OC, Wegeredt P (Eds). International yearbook of soil law and policy 2016 (pp. 49-72). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

FAO (2016). Food and Agricultural Organization. Ethiopia Climate-Smart Agriculture Scoping Study. Retrieved 2024 February 12 from www.fao.org/3/a-i5518e.pdf

Fentie A, Beyene AD (2019). Climate-smart agricultural practices and welfare of rural smallholders in Ethiopia: Does planting method matter? Land Use Policy 85:387-396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.04.020

Feyisa K, Beyene S, Angassa A, Said MY, de Leeuw J, Abebe A, Megersa B (2017). Effects of enclosure management on carbon sequestration, soil properties, and vegetation attributes in East African rangelands. Catena 159:9-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2017.08.002

Gentili R, Ambrosini R, Montagnani C, Caronni S, Citterio S (2018). Effect of soil pH on the growth, reproductive investment, and pollen allergenicity of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. Frontiers in Plant Science 9:1335. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01335

Hailu H, Mamo T, Keskinen R, Karltun E, Gebrekidan H, Bekele T (2015). Soil fertility status and wheat nutrient content in Vertisol cropping systems of central highlands of Ethiopia. Agriculture and Food Security 4(1):1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-015-0038-0

Hoshika Y, Moura B, Paoletti E (2018). Ozone risk assessment in three oak species as affected by soil water availability. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 25:8125-8136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9786-7

Mesfin S, Taye G, Hailemariam M (2018). Effects of integrated soil and water conservation measures on soil aggregate stability, soil organic matter and soil organic carbon stock of smallholder farmlands in semi-arid Northern Ethiopia. Carbon Management 9(2):155-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2018.1443641

Mosissa D (2019). Soil and Water Conservation Practices and its Contribution to Small Holder Farmers Livelihoods in Northwest Ethiopia: A Shifting Syndrome from Natural Resources Rich Areas. Modern Concepts & Developments in Agronomy 3(5):362-371. https://doi.org/10.31031/mcda.2019.03.000574

Phogat VK, Tomar VS, Dahiya R (2015). Soil physical properties. In: Rattan RK, Katyal JC, Dwivedi BS, Sarkar AK, Bhattachatyya T, Tarafdar JC, Kukal SS (Eds). Soil Science, Chapter 6. Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi, India pp 135-171.

Tripathi DK, Singh S, Singh S, Mishra S, Chauhan DK, Dubey NK (2015). Micronutrients and their diverse role in agricultural crops: advances and future prospective. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum 37:139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-015-1870-3

Turyasingura B, Katel S, Chilumpha DG, Tumwesigye W, Chavula P (2024). Is climate change a blessing or curse? The changing climate influence on plant diseases and pests development: A narrative study. Student’s Journal of Health Research Africa 5(3):9.

Turyasingura B, Wycliffe T, Abraham A, Jennifer TT, Rogers A (2023). A literature review of climate-smart landscapes as a tool in soil-water management in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Technovation 5(2):10-18. https://doi.org/10.54392/irjmt2322

Venuste N (2020). Effects of tree forest plantations on soil physicochemical properties in the arboretum of Ruhande, southern province of Rwanda. Rwanda Journal of Engineering, Science, Technology and Environment 3(1):1-12. https://doi.org/10.4314/rjeste.v3i1.6

Yalew AW, Hirte G, Lotze-Campen H, Tscharaktschiew S (2018). Climate change, agriculture, and economic development in Ethiopia. Sustainability 10(10):3464. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103464

Downloads

Published

2024-03-30

How to Cite

ABDURAHMAN, A. M., FEYISSA, S., TURYASINGURA, B., ASCHALEW, A., & CHAVULA, P. (2024). Effect of soil and water conservation practices and slope gradient on organic carbon stocks micronutrients: A case study on Kulkullessa sub-watershed, Eastern Ethiopia. Nova Geodesia, 4(1), 167. https://doi.org/10.55779/ng41167

Issue

Section

Research articles

Most read articles by the same author(s)