The status of vetiver grass as a technique for soil and water conservation in Lay Armachiho woreda

Jigar Yirsaw Teshome

Abstract

Soil erosion is one of the most severe problems affecting the agriculture sector in Ethiopia. Vetiver grass has been introduced by NGO’s in Lay Armachiho woreda as a biological soil and water conservation measure to protect soil erosion in farmers’ field. The objective of the study was to assess the status of vetiver grass as a biological soil and water conservation structure in Lay Armachiho woreda to protect farmers’ land from soil erosion. A total of 150 household heads were selected randomly to collect information under three watersheds. Questionnaire, interview and field observation were used to collect data from sample respondents. Data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics, cross tabulation and chi-square test methods. The result showed that education, use of physical and biological SWC structures, effectiveness of Vetiver grass for SWC, training and technical support by developmental agents and agricultural experts were found to be significantly related to the adoption of vetiver grass whereas sex, age, wealth status, farm size and farm distance were not significantly related to the use of vetiver grass as a biological soil and water conservation technique at 95% significance level.