Effect Of Land Use Types And Soil Depth On Physico-Chemical Properties Of Acidic Soil In Two Kebeles Of Welmera Woreda, Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfine, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Soil acidity is one of the chemical soil degradation problems which affect soil productivity in Ethiopia highlands. The study was conducted to examine effect of land use types and soil depth on acidic soil physico-chemical properties, and farmers’ perception on existence of soil acidity. The study was conducted in Welmera district Central High Lands of Ethiopia in selected two Peasant Associations (PA). Soil samples were taken randomly at different soil depths (0-20cm) and (20-40cm). The different land use systems were: cultivated land, Grazing land, forest eucalyptus Plantation and backyard land use. Forty-eight Composite samples were collected along a Zig Zag line in all land use systems and analyzed in Holeta soil laboratory. The results showed that the pH of cultivated and grazing land of soil surface layer (0-20cm) were lower in both kebele (4.4) which are extremely acidic (pH<4.5), and sub-surface (20-40) soil layer of cultivated and grazing land were (4.6) which is very strongly acidic(pH<5), whereas the soil pH of eucalyptus plantation and backyard of surface layer were (4.6-4.9 and 5.3-6.2) respectively which was very strongly acidic in eucalyptus plantation (pH<5.0) and moderately to strongly acidic in back yard land use (pH<6 and pH<5.5.The higher available phosphorous(13.11ppm and 12.62ppm) were recorded in the subsurface of backyard in the PA’s, whereas the lowest (5.3ppm and 4.7ppm) recorded in surface layer of cultivation land. Higher organic matter and total nitrogen were observed on the backyard land and eucalyptus plantation in both kebeles. The Local farmers were not aware except reduction of productivity from time to time. The study emphasized that soil acidity problem is crucial in the study area, and needs immediate intervention to amend the soil for sustainable crop production to feed the ever increasin