Estimation of soil loss due to different cultivation practices based on experimental approach in boricha catchment, central main rift valley lakes basin of Ethiopia

Abstract

Experimental estimation of soil loss, which is caused by unjustified agricultural practices, is very essential to put strategies for managing land degradation, which is a major environmental issue. This study aims to estimate soil loss (SL) due to different agricultural practices in Boricha catchment, Central Main Rift Valley Lakes Basin of Ethiopia. The study also aims to evaluate trends of agriculture practices on SL for the 2024 and 2025 Ethiopian Belg season. In this study, randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split-plot approach is used to identify the experimental treatment arrangement and intern runoff (R) plot. Shapiro-Wilk Test of SPSS was used to test the normality of the collected data. After the data normality test, a three-way analysis of variance of SPSS statistical software at a 95% confidence interval is used to determine which agricultural treatment has a significant impact on SL and R. The study identified nine combined treatments. The normality test shows that both SL and R are normally distributed. A Significancy check revealed that SL and R are significantly affected by the different tillage practices (P < 0.05) and cropping systems (P < 0.05) in both study years, 2024 and 2025. But the slope had no significant effect on them (P > 0.05). The analysis of runoff and soil loss revealed that no tillage with maize and haricot bean intercropping can be taken as a conservation tillage practice, which offers significant benefits in reducing runoff and intern soil loss compared to maize with conventional tillage.