Abstract
The study was conducted in the Kimbibit District, which is located at the North Shoa Zone of Oromia National Regional State, with the objective of investigating the effects of traditional practice of soil burning (guie) on physical properties of soils of the study area. Both disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from farmers’ burned fields and normal fields in three peasant associations. The burned soils samples were collected from the bottom, middle and top of the heap. Soil parameters were analyzed using standard procedures and the results were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Mean separation was done using the least significant difference (LSD). Except silt content, total porosity, percentage base saturation, all the other parameters considered in this study were significantly affected by soil burning. The burning reduced clay content (71.9, 78.4 and 75.8%), total porosity (20.3, 21.7 and 0.1%), water retained at FC (26.0, 58.4 and 33.8%) and PWP (19.7, 55.5 and 25.0%) and available water holding capacity (42.9, 67.1 and 57.1%), of the bottom, middle and top of the heap, respectively. Burning increased sand content (31.0, 38.0 and 34.5%), bulk density (19.7, 30.3 and 9.2%), particle density (7.7, 16.3 and 9.5%), water repellency (84.0, 149.4 and 95.1), on the bottom, middle and top of the heap, respectively. The soil attributes due to soil burning showed an overall change towards the direction of the loss of its physical fertility as compared to unburned soils. Therefore, strategies to feed the expanding population in the study areas will have to seek a sustainable solution that better address integrated soil management. Key words: Guie, heap, Kimbibit district, soil burning.
Highlights
Soil fertility maintenance is a major concern in tropical Africa, with the rapid population increase, which has occurred in the past few decades
These results were in agreement with Ulery and Graham (1993) and Certini (2005) who stated that the redder hue which appears in the burned soils is apparently because of transformation of Fe-oxides and complete removal of organic matter (OM)
The redder colors on the middle of the heaps were the indication of occurrence of higher fire intensity in that position of the heap while the black color of the top of the heap is due to charred organic matter and total organic matter is not combusted
Summary
Soil fertility maintenance is a major concern in tropical Africa, with the rapid population increase, which has occurred in the past few decades. The vast majority of soils around Kimbibit District are burned annually for cropping of virgin and fallowed land. This specialized form of shifting cultivation is practiced in almost all peasant associations in the District. Land that is plowed early for late planting of crops is exposed to soil erosion due to high and intense rainfall, diminishing soil fertility. This indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) is used mainly for production of barley (local variety), which is a major food crop. The same practice is done in Kenya and locally known as "Belset ab Tindinyek "
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