“Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Measures by Smallholder Farming Households in Sodo Dachi District of Oromia Region”

Abstract

Degradation of arable land due to soil erosion is a wide spread phenomenon in the highlands which account for about 45% of Ethiopia’s total land area. However, analysis of the consequence of soil erosion and its remedies are not well understood. The study was aimed at analyzingthe determinants of adoption of physical soil and water conservation technologyin Sodo Dachi District of Oromia Region. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate practices of physical soil and water conservation and to analyze the determinants of adoption of physical soil and water conservation by smallholder farming households. The primary data for this study were collected from 198 households using multi sampling: first Sodo Dachi district was purposively selected. In the second stage, out of 18 rural and 1 urban kebeles in the district, four kebeles were randomly selected. Then the representative sample household was selected using systematic random sampling. In addition to descriptive analysis, the maximum likelihood estimation binary Logitmodel was used to analyzingthe determinants of adoption of physical soil and water conservation technology. A descriptive result indicated that out of 198 total sample respondents, 73.23% of the respondents were adopter and 26.77% were non-adopters of soil and water conservation structure. From physical soil and water conservation technologies, soil bunds, stone faced soil bunds, check dams, cut off drain, micro basin, eye brow and micro trench more practiced. The result of the binary logit model shows that the explanatory variables, Agricultural extension, and participation in demonstration were significantly and positively affected the adoption of soil and water conservation technology. Whereas farm distance from household residence was significantly and negatively affected the adoption of physical soil and water conservation technology. Therefore, strategies aiming at promoting adoption of soil and water conservation technology should focus on extension service, scale up the best practice particularly though field demonstration, developing the skills what farmers have through increasing education level of household headed and increasing female participation.