Organic Carbon And Nutrient Dynamics Under Crop-Livestock Farming System In Haramaya And Kersa Districts, Eastern Ethiopia

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

The crop-livestock farming system is a traditional and main agricultural practice in the eastern part of Ethiopia, where crop grains are produced for food security and residues are for animal feed and domestic fuel consumption. As a result, farmers practice crop residues removal management throughout the cropping seasons. However, there is no adequate information on the impacts of crop residues removal management on soil properties and crop yields under such farming system. These studies analyze the status of soil properties under crop-livestock farming system, phosphorus adsorption capacity of the soils, organic carbon and nutrient distribution, and transport under crop residues removal management practices, and effects of crop residue incorporation on soil properties and crop grain yield at two farms, Adele in Haramaya and Bala Langey in Kersa districts in Eastern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from the crop fields and homesteads at both farms and analyzed following standard methods for soil physical and chemical analyses as well as for P adsorption capacities. Haricot bean was intercropped with maize for two cropping seasons for residue incorporation at both sites. Results reveal that soils of both farms have same textural class, sand clay loam but are different in other properties. The pH of the soils at both farms was in the range of 6.50 to 7.50 which is a suitable range for most crops grown at both sites. Soil organic carbon (