Soil fertility
Ethiopia is a country where more than 85% of its labour force is engaged in agriculture. The low land resource productivity is an important problem in Ethiopia and will only become more pressing with the continued population growth. Southwestern Ethiopia, where Jimma University is located, has a strong potential for increased agricultural productivity as it generally receives adequate rainfall and has relatively fertile soils. However, environmental challenges, mainly deforestation and the consequential soil erosion and nutrient depletion, have profound effects on this region, and threaten the livelihoods of the farmers. Furthermore, the Gilgel Gibe catchment provides water for the Gilgel Gibe hydroelectric power plant, the largest one in the country. Poor land management practices coupled with the rugged topography and erosive rainfall in this area increase sediment deposition in the dam reservoir and reduce the life span of the dam.
A multidisciplinary research team with members from the Department of Natural Resource Management, the Department of Agricultural Engineering, the Department of Crop Science, and the Department of Horticulture is established for this project. The main objectives of the project are (i) to improve land productivity in the Gilgel Gibe catchment area through integrated soil fertility management systems and (ii) to extend the lifespan of the Gilgel Gibe hydroelectric power plant by minimising sediment deposition in the reservoir.