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Status of Soil Properties Under Canopy of Farmers’ Preferred Coffee Shade Tree Species, in Adola Rede District, Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Received: 27 June 2018     Accepted: 10 September 2018     Published: 13 October 2018
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Abstract

The study was conducted at Adola Rede District, in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to investigate farmers’ preference criteria of soil fertility improving shade tree species and to identify Status of soil properties under canopy of farmers’ preferred shade tree species. To address the objectives of this study, all necessary data were collected through key informant interview, questionnaire survey and soil sampling. A total of 20 key informants and 90 households were participated for household interview. Based on their selection criteria, sampled households have done preference ranking of shade tree species used for soil fertility enhancement. The results of this study showed that, farmers’ main selection criteria were based on decomposition rate of shade treelitter fall, soil moisture status under shade tree canopy, coffee yield increments and growth rate of coffee plants under shade tree canopy. Generally, the preference ranking of key informants and respondent households soil fertility improvingcoffee shade tree species were in the order of: Ficus sur>Cordia africana>Millettia ferruginea>Albizia gummifera> croton macrostachyus>Acacia abyssinica. From the identified soil fertility improving coffee shade treespecies, soil samples were taken from under canopy of Ficus sur with 1st rank and Cordia africana with 2nd rank farmers’ preferences. For soil analysis from under canopy of both coffee shade trees and from outside the tree canopy, a total of 48 soil samples were taken. The results of soil properties under canopy of both shade trees showed that SOC, total N, available P, exchangeable K, CEC and soil pH were significantly (P<0.05) higher than outside the tree canopy. The results of BD outside the tree canopy was significantly (P<0.05) higher than undercanopy of both coffee shade trees. However, soil textures under canopy of both coffee shade trees and outside the tree canopy was not significantly different. Based on the finding of this study, statusof soil fertility under canopy of Ficus sur was significantly (P<0.05) higher than Cordia africana. Thus, the soil laboratory analyzed results of soil physico-chemical properties are in agreement with farmers’ rank of coffee shade tree preferences. Therefore, the findings suggest that if knowledge of local farmers is recorded and effectively used with scientific findings, it can provide valuable information. Moreover, for soil fertility enhancement and increments of coffee production incorporation of the two shade trees incoffee farms of similar agro-ecological conditions is paramount.

Published in American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry (Volume 6, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15
Page(s) 148-155
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Coffee Growers, Coffee Shade Tree Species, Soil Fertility Improving, Cordia africana, Ficus sur

References
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[5] Allen, S. C. 2004. Safety-net role of tree roots: evidence from a pecan (Caryaillinoensis K. Koch)–cotton (Gossypiumhirsutum L.) alley cropping system in the southern United States. Journal of Forest Ecology and Management, Vol 192, pp 395-407.
[6] Blair, J. M., Parmelee, R. W. and Beare, M. H. 1990. Decay-rates, nitrogen fluxes, and decomposer communities of single-species and mixed-species foliar litter. Journal of Ecology, 71, 1976–1985.
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[14] Agena, A, Tilahun, F. and Bekele, L. 2014. Effects of three tree species on microclimate and soil amelioration in the central rift valley of Ethiopia, Journal of Soil science and Environmental Management, Vol. 5 (5), PP. 62-71.
[15] Belay, M., Tesfaye, A. and Abdu, A. 2014. Effects of scattered F. albida (Del) and C. macrostachyus (Lam) tree species on key soil physicochemical properties and grain yield of Maize (Zea Mays): a case study at UmbuloWacho watershed, southern Ethiopia. Wudpecker Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. 3 (3), pp. 063 – 07.
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[17] Aweto, A. O. and Dikinya, O. 2003. The beneficial effects of two tree species on soil properties in a semi-arid savanna range land in Botswana. Journal of Land Contamination and Reclamation, Vol 11 (3), pp 339-334.
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[22] Enideg, D. 2008. Importance of FicusthonningiiBlume in Soil Fertility improvement and animal nutrition in Gondar Zuria, Ethiopia, M.Sc. Thesis, University of NaturalResources and Applied Life Science, Vienna.
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  • APA Style

    Aschalew Emire, Zebene Asfaw. (2018). Status of Soil Properties Under Canopy of Farmers’ Preferred Coffee Shade Tree Species, in Adola Rede District, Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 6(5), 148-155. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15

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    ACS Style

    Aschalew Emire; Zebene Asfaw. Status of Soil Properties Under Canopy of Farmers’ Preferred Coffee Shade Tree Species, in Adola Rede District, Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Am. J. Agric. For. 2018, 6(5), 148-155. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15

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    AMA Style

    Aschalew Emire, Zebene Asfaw. Status of Soil Properties Under Canopy of Farmers’ Preferred Coffee Shade Tree Species, in Adola Rede District, Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Am J Agric For. 2018;6(5):148-155. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15,
      author = {Aschalew Emire and Zebene Asfaw},
      title = {Status of Soil Properties Under Canopy of Farmers’ Preferred Coffee Shade Tree Species, in Adola Rede District, Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia},
      journal = {American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry},
      volume = {6},
      number = {5},
      pages = {148-155},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajaf.20180605.15},
      abstract = {The study was conducted at Adola Rede District, in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to investigate farmers’ preference criteria of soil fertility improving shade tree species and to identify Status of soil properties under canopy of farmers’ preferred shade tree species. To address the objectives of this study, all necessary data were collected through key informant interview, questionnaire survey and soil sampling. A total of 20 key informants and 90 households were participated for household interview. Based on their selection criteria, sampled households have done preference ranking of shade tree species used for soil fertility enhancement. The results of this study showed that, farmers’ main selection criteria were based on decomposition rate of shade treelitter fall, soil moisture status under shade tree canopy, coffee yield increments and growth rate of coffee plants under shade tree canopy. Generally, the preference ranking of key informants and respondent households soil fertility improvingcoffee shade tree species were in the order of: Ficus sur>Cordia africana>Millettia ferruginea>Albizia gummifera> croton macrostachyus>Acacia abyssinica. From the identified soil fertility improving coffee shade treespecies, soil samples were taken from under canopy of Ficus sur with 1st rank and Cordia africana with 2nd rank farmers’ preferences. For soil analysis from under canopy of both coffee shade trees and from outside the tree canopy, a total of 48 soil samples were taken. The results of soil properties under canopy of both shade trees showed that SOC, total N, available P, exchangeable K, CEC and soil pH were significantly (P<0.05) higher than outside the tree canopy. The results of BD outside the tree canopy was significantly (P<0.05) higher than undercanopy of both coffee shade trees. However, soil textures under canopy of both coffee shade trees and outside the tree canopy was not significantly different. Based on the finding of this study, statusof soil fertility under canopy of Ficus sur was significantly (P<0.05) higher than Cordia africana. Thus, the soil laboratory analyzed results of soil physico-chemical properties are in agreement with farmers’ rank of coffee shade tree preferences. Therefore, the findings suggest that if knowledge of local farmers is recorded and effectively used with scientific findings, it can provide valuable information. Moreover, for soil fertility enhancement and increments of coffee production incorporation of the two shade trees incoffee farms of similar agro-ecological conditions is paramount.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Status of Soil Properties Under Canopy of Farmers’ Preferred Coffee Shade Tree Species, in Adola Rede District, Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia
    AU  - Aschalew Emire
    AU  - Zebene Asfaw
    Y1  - 2018/10/13
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15
    T2  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    JF  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    JO  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    SP  - 148
    EP  - 155
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8591
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20180605.15
    AB  - The study was conducted at Adola Rede District, in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The aim of the study was to investigate farmers’ preference criteria of soil fertility improving shade tree species and to identify Status of soil properties under canopy of farmers’ preferred shade tree species. To address the objectives of this study, all necessary data were collected through key informant interview, questionnaire survey and soil sampling. A total of 20 key informants and 90 households were participated for household interview. Based on their selection criteria, sampled households have done preference ranking of shade tree species used for soil fertility enhancement. The results of this study showed that, farmers’ main selection criteria were based on decomposition rate of shade treelitter fall, soil moisture status under shade tree canopy, coffee yield increments and growth rate of coffee plants under shade tree canopy. Generally, the preference ranking of key informants and respondent households soil fertility improvingcoffee shade tree species were in the order of: Ficus sur>Cordia africana>Millettia ferruginea>Albizia gummifera> croton macrostachyus>Acacia abyssinica. From the identified soil fertility improving coffee shade treespecies, soil samples were taken from under canopy of Ficus sur with 1st rank and Cordia africana with 2nd rank farmers’ preferences. For soil analysis from under canopy of both coffee shade trees and from outside the tree canopy, a total of 48 soil samples were taken. The results of soil properties under canopy of both shade trees showed that SOC, total N, available P, exchangeable K, CEC and soil pH were significantly (P<0.05) higher than outside the tree canopy. The results of BD outside the tree canopy was significantly (P<0.05) higher than undercanopy of both coffee shade trees. However, soil textures under canopy of both coffee shade trees and outside the tree canopy was not significantly different. Based on the finding of this study, statusof soil fertility under canopy of Ficus sur was significantly (P<0.05) higher than Cordia africana. Thus, the soil laboratory analyzed results of soil physico-chemical properties are in agreement with farmers’ rank of coffee shade tree preferences. Therefore, the findings suggest that if knowledge of local farmers is recorded and effectively used with scientific findings, it can provide valuable information. Moreover, for soil fertility enhancement and increments of coffee production incorporation of the two shade trees incoffee farms of similar agro-ecological conditions is paramount.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Oromia Agricultural Research Institute, Bore Agricultural Research Center, Bore, Ethiopia

  • Hawassa University, Wondogenet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Shashemane, Ethiopia

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