Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Comparative Analysis of Morpho-Physicochemical Properties of Soils of Ifa Galano Micro-Watershed, South-West Ethiopia

  • AGRICULTURAL SOIL SCIENCE AND AGROECOLOGY
  • Published:
Russian Agricultural Sciences Aims and scope

Abstract

Effective soil management requires an understanding of soil morphology and physicochemical properties. The detailed description, characterization, and classification of soils are important criteria for soil management. The purpose of this study was to assess the morphological, physical, and chemical properties of soils in the Ifa Galano micro-watershed of the Sayo district. Four pedons were opened and analyzed for specific parameters to achieve these goals. Soils were classified after their morphological properties were studied in the field and their physicochemical properties were studied in the laboratory. The pedons were over 150cm deep. Except for pedon 4, the surface soil structure was granular, with a friable to firm consistency and clay texture. The soils were classified as very strongly acidic to moderately acidic with low to medium organic carbon. The total N content of the pedon studied ranged from low to high and decreased with depth and the soil available phosphorous was very low to low. The soil CEC was high while PBS ranged from low to medium. Most extracted micronutrients were high to very high except copper which was low in almost all pedons. Based on identified morphological, physical and chemical properties; the studied soil pedons were classified as Hyperdystric Nitisols (pedon 1 and 4), Umbric Nitisols (pedon 2) and Rhodic Alisols (pedon 3). Generally, the depth, land use types and topography of the site influence most of the selected soil properties. The pH readings of the soil at the study site indicate that there is an acidity problem in the soil. This acidity may limit soil productivity and crop yield. As a result, amendments such as lime, biochar, FYM, compost, vermicompost, inorganic fertilisers, and their combinations should be required to reduce acidity, resulting in sustainable agriculture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.

REFERENCES

  1. Abu, R.G., Characterization of soils of Jello Chancho Watershed: The case of Liban District, East Shewa Zone Ethiopia, J. Soil Sci. Environ. Manage., 2021a, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 143–158. https://doi.org/10.5897/jssem2020.0830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Abu, R.G., Soil acidity challenges to crop production in Ethiopian highlands and management strategic options for mitigating soil acidity for enhancing crop productivity, Agric, For., Fish., 2021b, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 245–261. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20211006.15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ahukaemere, C., Osujieke, D., and Ndukwu, B., Horizon differences in micronutrient contents of soils of the coastal plain sands in Imo State, South-East Nigeria, micronutrient contents of Pedons formed under Coastal Plain Sands, Bulg. J. Soil Sci., 2017, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 112–122. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2585990

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Alemayehu, Y., Gebrekidan, H., and Beyene, S., Pedological characteristics and classification of soils along landscapes at Abobo, southwestern lowlands of Ethiopia, Soil Sci. Environ. Manage., 2014, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 72–82. https://doi.org/10.5897/JSSEM13.0432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ali, A., Esayas, A., and Beyene, S., Characterizing soils of Delbo Wegene watershed, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia for planning appropriate land management, J. Soil Sci. Environ. Manage., 2010, vol. 1, no. 8, pp. 184–199.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Assen, M. and Yilma, S., Characteristics and classification of the soils of Gonde micro-catchment, Arsi highlands, Ethiopia, SINET: Ethiop. J. Sci., 2010, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 101–116. http://www.ajol.info/index.php/sinet/article/view/73327.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ayalew, A., Beyene, S., and Walley, F., Characterization and classification of soils of selected areas in Southern Ethiopia, Biol. Hevea Rubber, 2015, vol. 5, no. 11, pp. 11–20.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Brady, N.C., Weil, R.R., and Weil, R., The Nature and Properties of Soils, Upper Saddle River, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bray, R.H. and Kurtz, L.T., Determination of total, organic, and available forms of phosphorus in soils, Soil Sci., 1945, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 39–46.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. BSI. Methods of Testing Soils for Civil Engineering Purpose. British Standards 1377, 1975.

  11. Chapman, H.D., Cation-exchange capacity, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2: Chemical and Microbiological Properties, 2016, vol. 891–901. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.c6

  12. Chikkaraju, S.N., Chikkaramappa, T., Parama, V.R., and Kumar, K.S.A., Studies on genesis, characterization and classification of soils of Balapura series, Chamarajanagara district in Karnataka, Trends Biosci., 2017, vol. 10, no. 40, pp. 8431–8434.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Chimdi, A., Gebrekidan, H., Kibret, K., and Tadesse, A., Response of barley to liming of acid soils collected from different land use systems of Western Oromia, Ethiopia, J. Biodiversity Environ. Sci. (JBES), 2012, vol. 2, no. 7, pp. 1–13. http://www.innspub.net

    Google Scholar 

  14. Dinssa, B. and Elias, E., Characterization and classification of soils of Bako Tibe District, West Shewa, Ethiopia, Heliyon, 2021, vol. 7, no. 11, p. e08279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08279

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. FAO. GuidelineGuidelines for soil description. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, Italy, in Enhanced Recovery after Surgery, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33443-7_3

  16. Hailu, A.H., Kibret, K., and Gebrekidan, H., Characterization and classification of soils of Kabe Subwatershed in South Wollo Zone, Northeastern Ethiopia, Int. Scholars J., 2015, vol. 3, no. 7, pp. 134–146.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hailu, A.H., Kibret, K., and Gebrekidan, H., Characterization and classification of soils of Askate Sub-watershed, South Wollo Zone, Northeastern Ethiopia, Biol., Agric. Healthcare, 2021, vol. 11, no. 3. https://doi.org/10.7176/jbah/11-3-06

  18. Hazelton, P. and Murphy, B., Interpreting Soil Test Results: What Do All the Numbers Mean? CSIRO, 2016.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. IUSS Working Group WRB. World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2014, update 2015 International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps, in World Soil Resources Reports No. 106, Rome: FAO, 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Jones, J.B., Inorganic chemical fertilizers and their properties, in Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual, CRC, 2012, pp. 180–191.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  21. Landon, J.R., Booker Tropical Soil Manual: a Handbook for Soil Survey and Agricultural Land Evaluation in the Tropics and Subtropics, Routledge, 2014.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. Llndsay, W.L. and Norvell, W.A., Development of a DTPA Soil Test for Zinc, Iron, Manganese, and Copper 1, 1978.

  23. Moges, T., Melese, A., and Tadesse, G., Effects of lime and phosphorus fertilizer levels on growth and yield components of malt barley (Hordeum distichum L.) in Angolelana Tera District, North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia, Adv. Plants Agric. Res., 2018, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 582–589. https://doi.org/10.15406/apar.2018.08.00389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Mohammed, S., Kibret, K., and Mohammed, M., Characterization and classification of soils along Toposequence of Gobeya Sub-Watershed, South Wello Zone, Ethiopia, Asian J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr., 2018, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 1–17. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajsspn/2017/38426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Munsell Colour Company and Munsell Colour Company, Munsell soil colour charts, Geoderma, 1975, vol. 48, p. 199.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Nahusenay, A. and Kibebew, K., Land suitability evaluation in Wadla Delanta Massif of north central highlands of Ethiopia for rainfed crop production, Afr. J. Agric. Res., 2015, vol. 10, no.13, pp. 1595–1611. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajar2014.9248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Nasre, R., Burtscher, M., and Pingali, K., Data-driven versus topology-driven irregular computations on GPUs, Proceedings—IEEE 27th International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium, IPDPS 2013, 2013, pp. 463–474. https://doi.org/10.1109/IPDPS.2013.28

  28. Negassa, W. and Gebrekidan, H., Influence of land management on morphological, physical and chemical properties of some soils of Bako, Western Ethiopia, Agropedology, 2018, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Okalebo, J.R., Gathua, K.W., and Paul, L.W., Laboratory Methods of Soil and Plant Analysis: A Working Manual, SACRED Africa, Kenya Any, 2002, pp. 1–131.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Pulakeshi, H.B.P., Patil, P.L., and Dasog, G.S., Characterization and classification of soil resources derived from chlorite schist in northern transition zone of Karnataka, Karnataka J. Agric. Sci., 2014, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 14–21. http://14.139.155.167/test5/index.php/kjas/article/viewFile/7076/7294

    Google Scholar 

  31. Regassa, B.A., Characterization of Agricultural Soils in CASCAPE Intervention Woredas in Western Oromia Region, 2015.

  32. Rowell, D.L., The meaning of pH and its measurement, the determination of organic nitrogen and the dichromate method for the determination of oxidizable carbon and soil organic matter, in Soil Science, Methods and Applications, 1994, pp. 48–161.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Sebnie, W., Adgo, E., and Kendie, H., Characterization and Classification of Soils of Zamra Irrigation Scheme, Northeastern Ethiopia, Air, Soil Water Res., 2021, vol. 14, no. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786221211026577

  34. Shand, C., Experimental Agriculture, Vol. 43: Plant nutrition for food security. A guide for integrated nutrient management, Roy, R.N., Finck, A., Blair, G.J., and Tandon, H.L.S., Eds., Rome: F. A. O., 2007, no. 1. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0014479706394537

  35. SWARDO. Sayo Wereda profile, 2020

  36. Tekalign Mamo, Management of Vertisols in sub-Saharan Africa, Proceedings of a conference, Addis Ababa: International Livestock Centre for Africa, 1987. http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/ilri/x5493e/x5493e05.htm#TopOfPage

    Google Scholar 

  37. From the Surface Down–An Introduction to Soil Surveys for Agronomic Use, USDA, Nat. Res. Conserv. Serv., 2010. https://pascal-francis.inist.fr/vibad/index.php?action=getRecordDetail&idt=8009739.

  38. Walkley, A. and Black, I.A., An examination of the degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method, Soil Sci., 1934, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 29–38. https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-193401000-00003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Yitbarek, T., Beyene, S., and Kibret, K., Characterization and Classification of Soils of Abobo Area, Western Ethiopia, 2016.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resource Management, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine,  Dambi Dollo University, Dambi Dollo, Ethiopia

    Abu Regasa

  2. Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Mizan Tepi University, Mizan Tepi, Ethiopia

    Tesfaye Lishan

Authors
  1. Abu Regasa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tesfaye Lishan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abu Regasa.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Regasa, A., Lishan, T. A Comparative Analysis of Morpho-Physicochemical Properties of Soils of Ifa Galano Micro-Watershed, South-West Ethiopia. Russ. Agricult. Sci. 49, 413–429 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068367423040134

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068367423040134

Keywords:

Search

Navigation