Enset bio-engineering: a vegetative measure for soil conservation, in the coffee culture of Ethiopia
1998
Tesema Chekun Awoke (Coffee and Tea Authority, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia))
In the past two decades, considerable efforts have been made to promote various effective methods of reducing soil erosion in coffee growing areas, including the construction of soil bunds. However, very few of these practices are presently used by farmers. This brought the needs for a search of alternatives, which could enhance the adoption of soil conservation techniques by coffee growers. Among the new approaches, the BioEngineering method, that substitutes the traditional Enset planting techniques with specific engineered patterns of planting techniques showed encouraging results in Tamenja Yaz and Yirgacheffe woredas. Soil bunds were constructed with vertical intervals of greater than 2.5 meters and Enset strips were then established, in between as Inter-Bund Management Practices. Ense planted in two rows in stager shape as hedgerows on slope gradient of over 30 percent has also intercepted some of the runoff. Although farmers are convinced of these specific patterns of planting techniques as cost-effective method of reducing soil erosion, Enset strips alone were not found highly effective soil conservation practice without structures such as soil bunds. The present study, therefore, reveals that it would be essential to consider some important measures such as cut-off drains of buffer zones in order to asure maximum protection against erosion and check the main sources of runoff.
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