ADMAS UNIVERSITY

Departement of Marketing Management

Group Assignment

Prepared By:

Name ID NO.
1. Alazar Kasse Gebeyehu 0818/23
2. Asnaku Nega Liul 1595/23
3. Bayush Kassaw Chkole 8482/23
4. Betelhem Yohannes Dagnew 643
5. Bosone Sisay Tufa 1134/23
6. Dagmawi Tsegay 1344/23
7. Elias Beyene Kahsay 1608/23
8. Endale Tadese Gudina 1731/23
9. Ermyias Abreham Tefere 0892/23
10.

Submitted to:- Mr.

January , 2016
 Ethiopian Soils:- Types ,Degradation and Conservation.
 Soil
Soil is usually referred to as the naturally occurring organic materials found on
the earth’s surface. It is mainly composed of minerals, nutrients, water, other
inorganic particles and some residues of plants and animals.

 Soil is referred to as the loose surface material that covers most of the Earth's
surface.
 It is made up of both organic and inorganic materials. Soil not only provides
agricultural plants with water and nutrient, but also the structural support they
require to develop.
 The interplay of numerous processes, including leaching, weathering, and
microbiological activity, results in a diversity of distinct soil types. Soil provides
the structural support to plants used in agriculture and is also their source of
water and nutrients. Soils vary greatly in their chemical and physical properties.
Some important physical and chemical properties of soil are mineral content,
texture, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, structure, porosity, organic
matter content, carbon-to-ni- trogen ratio, color, depth, fertility, and pH.
 From a general perspective, “soil” is a very broad term and refers to the loose
layer of earth that covers the surface of the planet. The soil is the part of the
earth’s surface, which includes disintegrated rock, humus, inorganic and organic
materials. For soil to form from rocks, it takes an average of 500 years or more.
The soil is usually formed when rocks break up into their constituent parts. When
a range of different forces acts on the rocks, they break into smaller parts to form
the soil. These forces also include the impact of wind, water, and salts’ reaction.
lithosols soil in ethiopia. slopes are often steep, and lithosols (shallow soils
consisting of imperfectly weathered rock fragments) abound, accounting for
another 10 percent of the continents surface.

Nitisols are characterized by shallow, highly weathered, dusky red or dark red
soils with a low content of nutrients and high clay content (Elias, 2017).

There are six major categories of soil found in Ethiopia:

1. Acrisol
They develop on moderately sloped land. The parent materials range from
metamorphic rocks to volcanic from the trap series. Despite being heavily worn,
they are a lot more productive than the majority of other tropical soils.

One of the most naturally infertile soil types in the tropics is acrisol, which when
used swiftly degrades chemically and biologically. Most of the basic nutrients
have been lost in Ethiopia, and the country is characterized by low levels of
productivity.

2. Vertisols

Vertisols are dark, clay-rich soils that are common in the Ethiopian highlands.
They are formed from volcanic ash and are known for their high fertility and
water-holding capacity. Vertisols are used to grow a variety of crops, including
teff, wheat, and barley.Vertisols are very important soils in Ethiopian agriculture.

3. Cambisols

Cambisols are reddish-brown soils that are found in the mid-altitude regions of
Ethiopia. They are formed from the weathering of igneous and metamorphic
rocks. Cambisols are generally fertile and are used to grow a variety of crops,
including coffee, tea, and fruits.

4. Solanchaks

Solonchaks are white or light-colored soils that are found in the arid regions of
Ethiopia. They are formed from the accumulation of salts in the soil. Solanchaks
are generally infertile and are not used for agriculture.Due to the sparse
vegetation, these soils, which are classified as desert soils, have a high salt
content and a low organic content. These soils are low in humus and nitrogen but
high in phosphate and potash, making them potentially very productive if
watered.

5. Fluvisols

Fluvisols are brown or gray soils that are found in the floodplains of rivers and
streams. They are formed from the deposition of sediment by floodwaters.
generally They are fertile because fresh soil materials are constantly being
deposited, their fertility is continually regenerated and are used to grow a variety
of crops, including vegetables, fruits, and rice.

6. Luvisols

Luvisols are brown or dark brown soils that are found in the semi-arid regions of
Ethiopia. They are formed from the weathering of a variety of rocks. Luvisols are
generally fertile and are used to grow a variety of crops, including sorghum,
millet, and maize. They are found near nitosols in areas with low levels of
leaching.
7. Rendzinas

Rendzinas are black or dark brown soils that are found in areas with limestone or
chalk bedrock. They are formed from the weathering of these rocks. Rendzinas
are generally fertile and are used to grow a variety of crops, including wheat,
barley, and grapes.

8. Andosols

Andosols are dark brown or black soils that are found in areas with volcanic
activity. They are formed from the weathering of volcanic ash and are known for
their high fertility. Andosols are used to grow a variety of crops, including
potatoes, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.

Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor
management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It is a serious
environmental problem. Soils are a fundamental natural resource, and are the
basis for all terrestrial life. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our well-being.

– Soil degradation, a decline in soil qualities, is becoming a universal ecological

problem. Accelerated erosion, depletion of the soil organic carbon pool, loss of
soil fertility and nutrient imbalance, acidification, and salinization are the major
soil degradation processes.

Soil degradation is the rate of adverse change in soil qualities (Lal, 2009) and
encompasses the deteriorations of physical, chemical, and biological attributes of
the soil (Enters, 1998). It is a severe universal ecological problem, with
implications in food security, climate change, agricultural resilience in the face of
crop diseases, biodiversity, and future genetic resources
Soil erosion is the most visible form of soil degradation in Ethiopia. Inappropriate
soil management like tilling along the slope, lack of crop cover during heavy
rainfall, deforestation, and overgrazing is responsible for accelerated soil erosion
with consequent loss of land productivity in the country.

Many forms of land degradation occur in Ethiopia : water and wind erosion;
salinization and acidification, and both physical and biological degradation of
soils.

best solution for mitigating and reversing current soil degradation trends. Proper
tillage practice, crop residue management, crop rotations, agro-forestry,
combined uses of organic and inorganic fertilizers, liming and cover crops are the
most important options. The basic anthropogenic factors for deterioration include
deforestation, overgrazing, land-use changes, cultivation on steep slopes, and
overexploitation of natural vegetation. Similarly, the removal of crop residues, no
or least addition of organic fertilizers and mineralization of existing organic
materials, and intensive cultivation is the major reasons for soil degradation in the
country.

Soil conservation in Ethiopia is considered today to be of top priority, not only to

maintain and improve agricultural production but also to achieve food self-
sufficiency, which is the long-term objective of the agricultural development
programme

Soil conservation refers to the methods that are employed to maintain the
fertility of the soil. It also includes maintaining the top layer of soil and preventing
its erosion. The purpose of soil conservation is to protect it from various types of
pollutants and to ensure that its properties like pH level, quality, texture, etc. are
maintained.

There are three Methods of Soil Conservation

Soil conservation is crucial to earth. It is necessary to ensure healthy crops and

longevity of the top layer of soil. The three methods of soil conservation are listed
below.

1. Crop Rotation – It is a method in which different types of crops are grown

on the same land in a given period of time. Growing different crops ensures
that the soil is not deficient in nutrients and it also reduces tillage which is
harmful to the soil.
2. Contour Ploughing – The method of sowing and plowing crops along a right
angle to the slope of a geographical area is called Contour Ploughing. It is a
method that follows the natural contour lines of hills to reduce soil damage
caused by running water.
3. Ploughing in the right direction – In this method, the land is plowed
perpendicular to the wind direction. It is one of the best ways to protect soil
from erosion caused by wind.