Effect of community-based soil and water conservation practices on soil glomalin, aggregate size distribution, aggregate stability and aggregate-associated organic carbon in northern highlands of Ethiopia

Soil and water conservation (SWC) is being advocated as an integral part of agricultural land management as it not only controls/minimizes soil erosion but also restores/rehabilitates the degraded lands. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of soil and water conservation practices in improving soil fertility in the agricultural landscapes of the Damota area, southern Ethiopia. Forty-eight soil samples (both disturbed and core samples) were collected from the conserved and adjacent nonconserved plots. The significance analysis test was performed using analysis of variance. The result of the study showed that higher mean values of soil physicochemical properties were observed in the conserved plot than its nonconserved counterpart. The mean differences of organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable K+ and Ca2+ between conserved and nonconserved plots were statistically significant at the P < 0.01 level. Besides, available phosphorous and bulk density were significant at P < 0.05 , but the effect of SWC practices was not found significant on soil texture, soil pH, and exchangeable Na+ and Mg2+ content of the soil in the Damota area. Community-based soil and water conservation practices have improved the soil fertility in agricultural landscapes, although significant results have been observed in some fertility indicators. Therefore, strengthening the implementation of conservation measures by participating in all stakeholders is recommended. Supporting physical structures by agronomic and vegetative measures and continued maintenance can bring better results.

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The Effect of Community-Based Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Abundance and Diversity of Soil Macroinvertebrates in the Northern Highlands of Ethiopia

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy8040056 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 56 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mengistu Welemariam ◽

Fassil Kebede ◽

Bobe Bedadi ◽

Emiru Birhane

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Community Based ◽

Abundance And Diversity ◽

Soil Macroinvertebrates ◽

Soil And Water ◽

Northern Highlands

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Tillage-induced changes to soil structure and organic carbon fractions in New Zealand soils

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr00018 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 465 ◽

Cited By ~ 105

Author(s):

T. G. Shepherd ◽

S. Saggar ◽

R. H. Newman ◽

C. W. Ross ◽

J. L. Dando

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Soil Structure ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Aggregate Size ◽

Aggregate Size Distribution ◽

Binding Agents ◽

Rate Of Decline ◽

Humic Soil

The effects of increasing cropping and soil compaction on aggregate stability and dry-sieved aggregate-size distribution, and their relationship to total organic C (TOC) and the major functional groups of soil organic carbon, were investigated on 5 soils of contrasting mineralogy. All soils except the allophanic soil showed a significant decline in aggregate stability under medium- to long-term cropping. Mica-rich, fine-textured mineral and humic soils showed the greatest increase in the mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry aggregates, while the oxide-rich soils, and particularly the allophanic soils, showed only a slight increase in the MWD after long-term cropping. On conversion back to pasture, the aggregate stability of the mica-rich soils increased and the MWD of the aggregate-size distribution decreased, with the humic soil showing the greatest recovery. Aggregate stability and dry aggregate-size distribution patterns show that soil resistance to structural degradation and soil resilience increased from fine-textured to coarse-textured to humic mica-rich soils to oxide-rich soils to allophanic soils. Coarse- and fine-textured mica-rich and oxide-rich soils under pasture contained medium amounts of TOC, hot-water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), and acid hydrolysable carbohydrate (AHC), all of which declined significantly under cropping. The rate of decline varied with soil type in the initial years of cropping, but was similar under medium- and long-term cropping. TOC was high in the humic mica-rich and allophanic soils, and levels did not decline appreciably under medium- and long-term cropping. 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance evidence also indicates that all major functional groups of soil organic carbon declined under cropping, with O-alkyl C and alkyl C showing the fastest and slowest rate of decline, respectively. On conversion back to pasture, both WSC and AHC returned to levels originally present under long-term pasture. TOC recovered to original pasture levels in the humic soil, but recovered only to 60–70% of original levels in the coarse- and fine-textured soils. Aggregate stability was strongly correlated to TOC, WSC, and AHC (P < 0.001), while aggregate-size distribution was moderately correlated to aggregate stability (P < 0.01) and weakly correlated to AHC (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy indicated a loss of the binding agents around aggregates under cropping. The effect of the loss of these binding agents on soil structure was more pronounced in mica-rich soils than in oxide-rich and allophanic soils. The very high aggregate stabilities of the humic soil under pasture was attributed to the presence of a protective water-repellent lattice of long-chain polymethylene compounds around the soil aggregates.

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Soil aggregate size distribution and total organic carbon in intra-aggregate fractions as affected by addition of biochar and organic amendments

Polish Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.17951/pjss.2020.53.1.41 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 41

Author(s):

George O. Odugbenro ◽

Zhihua Liu ◽

Yankun Sun

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Total Organic Carbon ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Aggregate Size ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Font Size ◽

Aggregate Size Distribution

A two-year field trial on maize (Zea mays L.) production was established to determine the influence of biochar, maize straw, and poultry manure on soil aggregate stability, aggregate size distribution, total organic carbon (TOC), and soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Seven treatments with four replications, namely CK, control; S, 12.5 Mg ha-1 straw; B1, 12.5 Mg ha-1 biochar; B2, 25 Mg ha-1 biochar; SB1, straw + 12.5 Mg ha-1 biochar; SB2, straw + 25 Mg ha-1 biochar; and M, 25 Mg ha-1 manure were tested at four soil depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm). Aggregates were grouped into large macro-aggregates (5–2 mm), small macro-aggregates (2–0.25 mm), micro-aggregates (0.25–0.053 mm) and silt + clay (<0.053 mm). Biochar, straw, and manure applications all had significant effects (p < 0.05) on aggregate stability, with B2 at 20 cm soil depth showing the greatest increase (62.1%). SB1 of small macro-aggregate fraction showed the highest aggregate proportion (50.59% ± 10.48) at the 20–30 cm soil depth. The highest TOC was observed in SB2 (40.9 g kg-1) of large macro-aggregate at 10–20 cm soil depth. Treatment effects on soil MBC was high, with B1 showing the greatest value (600.0 µg g-1) at the 20–30 cm soil depth. Our results showed that application of biochar, straw, and manure to soil increased aggregate stability, TOC as well as MBC.<br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" />

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Nonpoint Source Pollution Control by Soil and Water Conservation Practices

Transactions of the ASAE ◽

10.13031/2013.35110 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 0834-0840 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Michael F. Walter ◽

Tammo S. Steenhuis ◽

Douglas A. Haith

Keyword(s):

Nonpoint Source Pollution ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Nonpoint Source ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Soil And Water

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Factors influencing the adoption of physical soil and water conservation practices in the Ethiopian highlands

International Soil and Water Conservation Research ◽

10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.12.006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 23-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Asnake Mekuriaw ◽

Andreas Heinimann ◽

Gete Zeleke ◽

Hans Hurni

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Ethiopian Highlands ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Soil And Water

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EXTERNALITIES, PROFIT, AND LAND STEWARDSHIP: CONFLICTING MOTIVES FOR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION ADOPTION AMONG ABSENTEE LANDOWNERS AND ON-FARM PRODUCERS

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/aae.2016.45 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 491-513 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

BENJAMIN H. TONG ◽

TRACY A. BOYER ◽

LARRY D. SANDERS

Keyword(s):

Land Tenure ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Economic Incentives ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Significance Level ◽

Absentee Landowners ◽

Conservation Adoption ◽

On Farm ◽

Soil And Water

AbstractThis research aimed to illicit nonfarming absentee landowners’ and producers’ preferences for the benefits and characteristics derived from conservation practices during adoption decisions using maximum difference scaling, also called the best-worst method. Both groups are found to rank and value the attributes and reasons for adoption of conservation practices differently at the 95% significance level. This difference between the two groups reinforced the importance of land tenure in decision making. This indicated the need for new extension educational efforts, research efforts, and economic incentives to reduce negative externalities that could be ameliorated from adoption of soil and water conservation practices.

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Aggregate size distribution and stability of an oxisol under legume-based and pure grass pastures in the eastern Colombian savannas

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9950153 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 153 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

AJ Gijsman ◽

RJ Thomas

Keyword(s):

Size Distribution ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Aggregate Size ◽

Soil Aggregate ◽

Hot Water ◽

Aggregate Size Distribution ◽

Carbohydrate Concentration ◽

Stability Measurement ◽

Water Extractable

This study evaluated soil aggregate size distribution and stability of an Oxisol under improved grass-only or grass-legume pastures, established in previously native savanna. Three grass-legume combinations were included at various stocking rates. In all treatments and soil layers, soils were well aggregated, having more than 90% of their weight in macroaggregates (>250 �m). The addition of legumes to pastures did not affect the soil aggregate size distribution, although aggregates showed somewhat more stability against slaking. An increase in stocking rate negatively affected both average aggregate size and aggregate stability. Aggregates showed little or no dispersion of clay particles in any treatment. A positive correlation was found between wet aggregate stability and hot-water extractable carbohydrate concentration, supporting the hypothesis that these carbohydrates equate with plant-derived or microbial polysaccharides which glue soil aggregates together. It is suggested that determination of hot-water extractable carbohydrates may serve as a useful indicator of small differences in aggregate stability, even when these differences are not evident in the stability measurement itself.

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Upaya Konservasi Tanah dan Air pada Daerah Pertanian Dataran Tinggi di Sub-Daerah Aliran Sungai Gandul

Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia ◽

10.18343/jipi.25.3.382 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 382-387

Author(s):

Diah Auliyani

Keyword(s):

Water Conservation ◽

Soil And Water Conservation ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Land System ◽

Long Time ◽

Agricultural Areas ◽

Land Cover Maps ◽

Very High ◽

Soil And Water ◽

Erosion Prevention

Land susceptibility to degradation is characterized by the loss of topsoil due to erosion which is considered as a threat to agricultural productivity. Information about land sensitivity to erosion is crucial in determining the appropriate soil and water conservation techniques to avoid land degradation. This study, which was located in the Gandul Sub-Watershed, aims to analyze the level of land sensitivity to erosion in highland agricultural areas. Data analysis was carried out spatially using land system and land-cover maps. Soil and water conservation efforts were determined based on the land function and sensitivity. The land sensitivity to erosion in the Gandul Sub-watershed was categorized into 3 levels which were moderate (3.9%), high (95%), and very high (0.8%). There were various directions for Gandul Sub-Watershed management by considering the level of sensitivity of the land and the function of the area. Creating a ridge is one of the soils and water conservation practices that has been implemented for a long time by local communities as a soil erosion prevention. Keywords: agriculture, erosion, Gandul, sensitivity

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