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Soil erosion by water and inappropriate land management practices result in poor agricultural production in the highlands of Ethiopia. Cover crops (CCs) are a promising cropping system to ameliorate soil health and agricultural production. A field plot experiment was carried out during the rainy seasons of 2019 and 2020 to assess the effects of CCs on runoff, soil loss, soil water content, and yield performance of barley in the Kasiry sub-catchment of Guder. The plot experiment contained four treatments: control, vetch (Vicia sativa L.), sweet lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), and bitter lupin (Lupinus albus L.); arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Each 12 m2 plot had a runoff monitoring system. A total of 1080 soil samples were collected at depths of 0 to 0.5 m from each plot at intervals of 0.1 m for soil water analysis. Treatments with CCs showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and biomass compared to the control plot. Runoff and soil loss were also reduced (9.6% and 38.3%, respectively), with bitter lupin being the most effective. In contrast, soil water content did not differ significantly between CC and control treatments. The grain yield of barley increased from 38 to 64%, and a partial budget analysis showed that CCs increased overall net profit, with bitter lupin having the highest marginal rate of return (8608%). Generally, treatments with less runoff and soil loss rates and higher crop yield should be adopted and scaled up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops produced in Ethiopia. However, production and productivity of the crop is far below the world average, which is mostly associated with soil fertility depletions as a result of inappropriate application of fertilizer. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic eco-green and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer on the growth and green pod yield of hot pepper during the growing season of 2019/2020. The experiment was designed in factorial combinations of four levels of N (0, 59, 82 and 105 kg ha−1) and four levels of eco-green (0, 75, 125 and 175 L ha−1) which were laid down in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that application of N and eco-green (EG) fertilizers very highly significantly (P < 0.001) influenced plant height, numbers of different levels of branches, days to 50% flowering, days to 50% pod setting, days to first harvest, marketable, unmarketable and total green pod yields. Generally, the combination of high levels of nitrogen and EG increased the growth parameters of hot pepper including plant height and number of branches. The highest marketable (17.98 t ha−1) and total green pod yield (18.19 t ha−1) of hot pepper were recorded from the treatment combinations of 59 kg N ha−1 and 125 litter EG ha−1. The same treatment combination had also recorded the highest net benefit (318,516.91 ETB ha−1) with acceptable marginal rate of return (1706%) which can be recommended for economical production of green hot pepper in the study area and areas with similar agro-ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of soil amendments on soil respiration (SR) rate have not yet been fully evaluated. In the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia, we investigated seasonal variations in SR rates between and within soil amendments. We set up 24 plots with 8 treatments—polyacrylamide (PAM), gypsum (G), biochar (B), lime (L), control (C), PAM + L, PAM + G, and PAM + B—in 3 replicates. Soil temperature, moisture, and SR data were collected monthly. Data were evaluated by paired t-test and nonparametric repeated-measures ANOVA. The SR rates were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in PAM + B (3.43 ± 0.55 µmol m−2 s−1) than in B (4.23 ± 0.61 CO2 µmol m−2 s−1) and PAM + L (4.14 ± 0.57 µmol m−2 s−1). The SR rate differed significantly in all plots between the wet and dry seasons. The relationships between SR rate and soil properties were not significant, although there was a non-significant positive association with soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil pH, and clay content. There was a significant (P < 0.01) association between soil moisture and SR in all treatments. PAM + B offers a practical means of enhancing carbon storage efficiency. Comprehensive studies should be conducted in a variety of agroecological settings to determine optimal techniques to reduce SR emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Crop yield prediction before harvest is a key issue in managing agricultural policies and making the best decisions for the future. Using remote sensing techniques in yield estimation studies is one of the important steps for many countries to reach their agricultural targets. However, crop yield estimates rely on labor-intensive surveys in Ethiopia. To solve this, we used Sentinel-2, crop canopy analyzer, and ground-truthing data to estimate grain yield (GY) and aboveground biomass (AGB) of two major crops, teff and finger millet, in 2020 and 2021 in Ethiopia's Aba Gerima catchment. We performed a supervised classification of October Sentinel-2 images at the tillering stage. Among vegetation indices and leaf area index (LAI) used to predict teff and finger millet GY and AGB, the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized-difference VI (NDVI) provided the best fit to the data. NDVI and EVI most influenced teff AGB (R2 = 0.87; RMSE = 0.50 ton/ha) and GY (R2 = 0.84; RMSE = 0.14 ton/ha), and NDVI most influenced finger millet AGB (R2 = 0.87; RMSE = 0.98 ton/ha) and GY (R2 = 0.87; RMSE = 0.22 ton/ha). We found a close association between GY and AGB and the satellite EVI and NDVI. This demonstrates that satellite images can be employed in yield prediction studies. Our results show that satellite and crop canopy analyzer-based monitoring can facilitate the management of teff and finger millet to achieve high yields and more sustainable food production and environmental quality in the area. The results could be reproducible under similar study catchment conditions and boost crop yield. Extrapolation of the models to other areas requires local validation. To improve crop monitoring for farmers and reduce expenses, we suggest integrating time series Sentinel-2 images along with LAI obtained from crop canopy analyzers collected during the cropping season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide use has increased in the Lake Tana sub-basin due to increased agricultural activity, potentially endangering nontargeted organisms. To assess its potential impact on fish health and fish-consuming human populations, pesticide concentrations in the fillet and liver tissue of three fish species, namely Labeobarbus megastoma, Labeobarbus tsanensis, and Oreochromis niloticus, were investigated in Lake Tana. Fish samples were taken from the lake near the rivers of Ribb and Gumara, which flow through agricultural areas where considerable amounts of pesticides have been applied. A total of 96 fish samples were collected. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) revealed the presence of ten pesticides. Pyrimethanil was frequently detected in 96% of liver and 65% of fillet samples at a median concentration of 33.9 µg kg−1 and 19.7 µg kg−1, respectively. The highest concentration of pyrimethanil was found in L. megastoma (1850.0 µg kg−1). Labeobarbus megastoma also had the highest concentration of oxamyl (507.0 µg kg−1) and flazasulfuron (60.1 µg kg−1) detected in the liver tissue. The highest concentration of carbaryl (56.5 µg kg−1) was found in the liver tissue of O. niloticus. Fish tissue samples from the two study sites contained pyrimethanil, oxamyl, carbaryl, and flazasulfuron. Only pyrimethanil showed a statistically significant difference between the two sites and the species L. megastoma and L. tsanensis. The amounts of pesticides found in the fish species pose no direct risk to the health of fish consumer human population. However, the results show that the lake ecosystem needs immediate attention and regular monitoring of the rising pesticide usage in the lake watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temporal dynamics of soil respiration change in response to different land management practices are not well documented. This study investigated the effects of soil bunds on the monthly and diurnal dynamics of soil respiration rates in the highlands of the Upper Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia. Six plots (with and without soil bunds, three replicates) were used for measurement of seasonal soil respiration, and 18 plots were used for measurement of diurnal soil respiration. We collected seasonal variation data on a monthly basis from September 2020 to August 2021. Diurnal soil respiration data were collected four times daily (5 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m., and 11 p.m.) for 2 weeks from 16 to 29 September 2021. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that seasonal soil respiration rates differed significantly (p < 0.05) between soil bund and control plots in all seasons. In plots with soil bunds, seasonal soil respiration rates were lowest in February (1.89 ± 0.3 µmol CO2 m–2 s–1, mean ± SE) and highest in October (14.54 ± 0.5 µmol CO2 m–2 s–1). The diurnal soil respiration rate was significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 11 a.m. than at other times, and was lowest at 5 a.m. Seasonal variation in soil respiration was influenced by soil temperature negatively and moisture positively. Diurnal soil respiration was significantly affected by soil temperature but not by soil moisture. Further study is required to explore how differences in soil microorganisms between different land management practices affect soil respiration rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Tana is the largest freshwater lake in Ethiopia and is the source of the Blue Nile. The lake shorelines and those of its tributary river, Gilgel Abay, are characterized by the occurrence of extensive papyrus swamps (Cyperus papyrus L). While such papyrus swamps are highly recognized for their outstanding ecological and economical importance, their historical and current spatial distribution and size in the Lake Tana sub basin have not yet been systematically assessed. The primary goal of this study was to estimate the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of papyrus swamps in the Lake Tana sub basin at five-year intervals over a period of 35 years (1985–2020). Our analyses revealed that the total surface area of the papyrus swamps in the study area declined by almost 55% (from 152 km² to 64 km²) during the last 35 years. The small patches of papyrus swamps that existed in the northern and eastern parts of the study area prior to the 1990s appear to have disappeared in recent years as well. Our data suggest that the strong decline of papyrus swamps mainly resulted from the expansion of crop farming, livestock overgrazing, drainage, and biomass overharvesting, all of which are increasing over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of value-added outputs from biomass residues represents an opportunity to increase the supply of renewable energy in Ethiopia. Particularly, agroforestry could provide biomass residues for improved bioenergy products. The aim of this study was to characterize the interest of growers to provide biomass residues to a hypothetical biomass feedstock market. This study relied on a survey conducted on a sample of 240 farmers. Although the awareness of potential biomass products was generally quite low, a majority of farmers expressed interest in supplying biomass residues, but the level of interest depended on certain individual socio-economic and demographic characteristics. For example, younger and female household heads were found to be more interested in participating in the hypothetical biomass market, as were households with an improved biomass stove, larger land holdings, and higher income levels. In addition, larger households and those that felt less vulnerable to firewood scarcity also expressed more interest. As a whole, the results imply that farmers, particularly those with younger and female heads of households, should be supported with programs tailored to ensure their inclusion in biomass supply chains. Respondents generally preferred farm-gate sales of biomass, so the collecting, baling, and transporting of woody residues need to be properly incentivized or new actors need to be recruited into the supply chain. Providing households with energy-efficient tools such as improved stoves would not only increase demand for biomass products, but also increase the amount of biomass residues that could be supplied to the market instead of used at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geotourism is a niche form of sustainable tourism that focuses on the geological and geomorphological features of an area, and the associated culture and biodiversity. Geosites are important resources for geotourism development. The eastern and southeastern Lake Tana region in Ethiopia has several geosites with a potential for geotourism development. Despite the diversity of potential geosites and the strategic location of the area in the Northern Tourist Circuit of Ethiopia, only a few attractions such as Lake Tana and the Blue Nile Falls are currently being visited. The objective of this paper is twofold: to inventory geosites in the eastern and southeastern Lake Tana region and assess their potential for geotourism development; and to propose a geosite inventory and assessment methodology for geotourism purposes with adaptations from previous studies. Several studies were reviewed and finally nine of them used as the main references to prepare the criteria, indicators, and sub-indicators for this study. The indicators used for assessing the potential of geosites relate to scientific, educational, scenic, recreational, protection, functional, and ecological values. This research presents the first inventory of geosites in the Lake Tana basin. A first list of 120 geosites has been inventoried. Further screening and clustering resulted in 61 geosites, of which 17 are viewpoints. Among the major geosites are waterfalls, a lake with islands and island monasteries, a flood plain, caves and cave churches, lava tubes, a mountain (shield volcano), volcanic plugs, volcanic cones, rock-hewn churches, and viewpoints. Quantitative assessment of the geotouristic potential of these geosites revealed that clustered (complex area) geosites received higher scientific, scenic, and recreational value scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable land management (SLM) practices for curbing the effects of land degradation, mainly in drought-prone areas, have been addressed by the community-based watershed development (CBWD) scheme since the 1980s in Ethiopia. However, the scheme has failed to consider farmers' potential willingness to pay (WTP) for SLM practices, as well as basic biophysical, socioeconomic, and institutional factors. This study estimated farmers' potential WTP (in terms of labor) and analyzed the drivers behind it in the Upper Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia. A contingent valuation method and Tobit econometric model were used to analyze survey data from 300 household heads. About 76% of the farmers said they would be willing to contribute labor (3.5–28 man-days yr−1), but the mean WTP (9.4 man-days yr−1) of the three watersheds was less than the set government value (28 man-days yr−1). The farmers' WTP aggregate benefit at the watershed scale was estimated to be US$55,572 yr−1. The econometric model results revealed that sex, age group, farmland size, SLM-related training, and household perception of land degradation influenced farmers' potential WTP. To this end, revising the current CBWD scheme by considering various aspects of farmers' WTP would help to make the scheme demand-driven. Moreover, the provision of gender- and resource-disaggregated training and the introduction of economic incentives to increase the economic productivity of SLM practices would enhance farmers' maximum WTP capacity and assure sustainable community participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As stated in the 2018 global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, Ethiopia has the second largest multidimensionally poor population in Africa (after Nigeria). The global MPI was created to measure household's multiple deprivations, but little systematic study has been carried out on the application of MPI measures on a smaller scale and vis-à-vis other measures of poverty. In addition, most of the few existing studies ignore any measure of inequality amongst the multidimensionally poor. This study explored multidimensional poverty in three different drought-prone agro-ecological settings of the Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia. A preliminary participatory exercise was carried out at the study sites to select important indicators and then a structured survey was administered to 390 systematically and randomly selected households. The Alkire–Foster method was used to analyse multidimensional poverty and verified it with Correlation Sensitive Poverty Index (CSPI). Multidimensional poverty incidence, adjusted head count ratio and inequality were significantly different between study sites (p < 0.001). Results indicated a high incidence (88%, 82% and 80%), intensity (52%, 55% and 56%), MPI (46%, 45% and 45%) and inequality (53%, 60% and 63%) of poverty in Aba Gerima, Guder and Dibatie study sites, respectively. A high level of divergence was revealed between the MPI and CSPI in terms of identifying the poor. The living standard and land and livestock ownership dimensions contributed the most to MPI. The case study signifies the importance of inclusion of land and livestock indicators for the national MPI. Besides, it implies that researchers and policymakers need to account for smaller scale contextualised indicators and location differences when studying and designing anti-poverty interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing data can be used to improve our understanding of environmental change over longer periods. Here, we used a series of orthorectified aerial photographs of 1938–1940 and 1957 and recent satellite images of 2014–2016 to explore trends and patterns of woody vegetation cover in the Lake Tana Basin of northwestern Ethiopia, and to understand how land cover changes influence gully dynamics. Woody vegetation was mapped using a supervised image classification and gully networks were mapped on-screen from randomly chosen sites distributed across the region. Woody vegetation cover has drastically changed over the past 78 years. From an overall cover of about 20% in 1938–1940 and 1957, woody vegetation cover dropped to 9.8% in 2014–2016. Areas that were subjected to agricultural extensification saw woody vegetation cover drop by nearly 70%. Paddock trees, woodlots, and forests have largely been transformed into cropland. Remarkably, most valley bottoms were vegetated in 1938–1957. Concomitant to the woody vegetation loss, gully networks expanded over the study period. From 1938–1957 to 2014–2016, gully density increased from 0.5–1 to 1.9 km km−2. The interrelation between both was most remarkable for valley bottoms, where the loss of woody vegetation has been paralleled by the development of gully networks and multiplication of gully heads. Based on visual observations, we hypothesize that as part of indigenous knowledge on erosion control, past societies may have allowed vegetation regrowth in valley bottoms to protect against erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the relevance of the notion of “peripheralism” in the Beles basin. In this lowland border area of Ethiopia, important investments require an evaluation of their socio-economic and ecological impacts in the light of Ethiopia’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. We contrasted literature of different periods with field observations. In the middle and lower parts of the basin, the Gumuz people traditionally practised shifting cultivation. Resettlement of highlanders is particularly linked to water and land resources. A large irrigation project was initiated in the 1980s, but vegetables and fruits face post-harvest losses. Large water transfers from Lake Tana since 2010 affect the movement of people, the hydrogeomorphology, and ecology of the river. In several parts of the basin, the settlers’ economy now dominates. Many Gumuz became sedentary but maintained their agricultural system, particularly in the south of the lower basin. Land titling allowed allocation of “vacant” areas to transnational or domestic investors. As a result, the semi-natural vegetation is frequently replaced by open cropland, leading to decreased carbon storage and increased soil erosion. This and water abstraction for irrigation jeopardise hydropower production, in contradiction with the CRGE objectives. Despite the recent developments, the contrasts in economic activity make the core-periphery dichotomy to remain actual in the Beles basin. The resettlements and permanent cropping tend to make the upper basin part of the core. However, the installation of a transit road and commercial farms in the lower basin do not allow to consider that a non-peripheral integration has taken place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various soil and water conservation measures (SWC) have been widely implemented to reduce surface runoff in degraded and drought-prone watersheds. But little quantitative study has been done on to what extent such measures can reduce watershed-scale runoff, particularly from typical humid tropical highlands of Ethiopia. The overall goal of this study is to analyze the impact of SWC interventions on the runoff response by integrating field measurement with a hydrological CN model which gives a quantitative analysis future thought. Firstly, a paired-watershed approach was employed to quantify the relative difference in runoff response for the Kasiry (treated) and Akusty (untreated) watersheds. Secondly, a calibrated curve number hydrological modeling was applied to investigate the effect of various SWC management scenarios for the Kasiry watershed alone. The paired-watershed approach showed a distinct runoff response between the two watersheds however the effect of SWC measures was not clearly discerned being masked by other factors. On the other hand, the model predicts that, under the current SWC coverage at Kasiry, the seasonal runoff yield is being reduced by 5.2%. However, runoff yields from Kasiry watershed could be decreased by as much as 34% if soil bunds were installed on cultivated land and trenches were installed on grazing and plantation lands. In contrast, implementation of SWC measures on bush land and natural forest would have little effect on reducing runoff. The results on the magnitude of runoff reduction under optimal combinations of SWC measures and land use will support decision-makers in selection and promotion of valid management practices that are suited to particular biophysical niches in the tropical humid highlands of Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation in many Ethiopian highlands occurs mainly due to high rainfall erosivity and poor soil conservation practices. Rainfall erosivity is an indicator of the precipitation energy and ability to cause soil erosion. In Central Rift Valley (CRV) of Ethiopia, where the climate is characterized as arid and semiarid, rainfall is the main driver of soil erosion that in turn causes a serious expansion in land degradation. In order to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall erosivity and its impact on soil erosion, long-term rainfall data (1980-2010) was used, and the monthly Fournier index (FI) and the annual modified Fournier index (MFI) were applied. Student's t test analysis was performed particularly to examine statistical significances of differences in average monthly and annual erosivity values. The result indicated that, in a similar spatial pattern with elevation and rainfall amount, average annual erosivity is also found being higher in western highlands of the valley and gradually decreased towards the east. The long-term average annual erosivity (MFI) showed a general decreasing trend in recent 10 years (2000-2010) as compared to previous 20 years (1980-1999). In most of the stations, average erosivity of main rainy months (May, June, July, and August) showed a decreasing trend, whereby some of them (about 33.3 %) are statically significant at 90 and 95 % confidence intervals but with high variation in spatial pattern of changes. The overall result of the study showed that rainfall aggression (erosivity) in the region has a general decreasing trend in the recent decade as compared to previous decades, especially in the western highlands of the valley. Hence, it implies that anthropogenic factors such as land use change being coupled with topography (steep slope) have largely contributed to increased soil erosion rate in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates nitrogen fixation and assimilation efficiency in Ethiopian and German pea varieties. Dry matter formation; Nitrogen fixation rates during reproductive growth; Root respiration.

Background: Assessment of suitable lands for irrigation is indispensable to plan and implement different programs in a cost-effective approach for sustainable land use planning and efficient utilization of the land. Hence selecting proper land use based on land suitability evaluation will enhance the productivity per unit area and ensures the sustainable use of land resources. Therefore, the research was designed to evaluate the suitability of the soil properties of Zamra irrigation scheme for irrigation purposes. Method: For this study about 195.16 ha of land were evaluated for irrigation suitablity. Four soil profile pits were opened in the representative site of the scheme based on slope, texture, soil color and soil depth. Soil samples were collected from the soil mapping units for analysis of texture, electrical conductivity, and calcium carbonate content, whereas slope, drainage and soil depth were directly measured at the field. The evaluation was carried out using a parametric evaluation method. Results: The results of the study revealed that four types of soils were identified namely, Rehodic Nitisol(eutric), Haplic Regosol (eutric) Eutric Regosol, Leptic Regosol (eutric, loamic), and Vertic Cambisol (Hypereutric). The soil texture consists of sandy loam and sandy clay loam at the surface and subsurface soil and the soil depth of study area varied from shallow to very deep. The soil of the scheme was free from salinity and the status of calcium carbonate was at a low level. The slope of the study area was ranged from flat (0–3%) to slopping (8–15%). Generally, 80.64 ha (41.32%) of the scheme was moderately suitable whereas 71.68 ha (36.73%) of the land was marginally suitable for irrigation. Due to major limiting factors of soil depth and slope about 42.84 ha of the land (21.95%) were not currently suitable for irrigation. Conclusion: In the study area, the major limitations were slope and soil depth. Therefore, to increase production and productivity of the scheme, land improvement operations are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]