Menschen für Menschen Foundation

Agro-Technical and Technology College

Agro-Ecology Department

Crop production
Animal Science

Soil and Water Conservation (NaRM 3310)

Credit Hours = 3 (2+1)

Course Instructor : Ayele Akuma (Assistant Professor)

Academic Year =2022/23
Course outline
• Chapter 1. Introduction to Soil and Water Management
• 1.1. Definition and concepts in soil and water management
• Chapter 2. Land Use Planning and Evaluation
• 2.1. Purposes and principles of Land Evaluation
• 2.2. Level of Intensity and Approaches

• 2.3. Land Suitability Evaluation/FAO Land Evaluation

• 2.4. Guidelines in Land Use Planning
• 2.5. Land Capability Classification/USDA Land Evaluation
• 2.5.1. Criteria in classifying land into different capability classes
• 2.5.2. Land capability classes and subclasses
• 2.6. Traditional land capability classification in Ethiopia
Course outline…
• Chapter 3. Soil Erosion
3.1. Kinds of Soil Erosion
3.1.1. Geological erosion
3.1.2. Accelerated (Man-made) erosion
3. 3.2. Mechanics of Erosion
3. 3.3 Causes of Accelerated Erosion
3.4. Forms of Soil Erosion by Water
3.4.1. Splash
3.4.2. Sheet
3.4.3. Rill
3.4.4. Gully
3.5. Damaged Caused by Erosion
3.6. Magnitude of Erosion in Ethiopia
3.7. Soil Loss Tolerance
3.8. Evaluating Soil Loss by Erosion
3.9. Measures for Soil erosion Control
3.9.1. Agronomic and Cultural measures
3.9.2. Mechanical measures
3.9.3. Wind Erosion and Its Control
Course outline…
• Chapter 4. Management of Soil Acidity
4.1. Soil Acidity
4.1.1. Types of soil acidity
4.1.2. Sources of hydrogen ion
4.1.3. Distribution and extent of soil acidity in Ethiopia
4.1.4. Soil acidity and plant relationship
4.2. Buffering of soils
4.3. Reclamation and management of acidic soils
Course outline
• Chapter 5. Management of Salt-Affected Soils
5.1. Classification of salt-affected soils
5.2. Sources of Soluble Salts
5.3. Irrigation water Quality
5.4. Soil Salinity, Alkalinity and Plant Growth
5.5. Distribution and Extent of Salt-Affected in Ethiopia
5.6. Management and Reclamation of Salt-Affected Soils
• Chapter 6. Agricultural Water Management
6.1. Water harvesting
6.2. Reducing soil and surface moisture undue loss
6.3. Agricultural land drainage
Practical work
• Design of contours, level and graded bend
• Field visit of gully control measures and area closures
• Field visit of design and construction of different types of soil & water
conservation activities
• Measuring soil reaction (Acidity and Alkalinity) in laboratory

• Evaluation types and Grading systems

• Attendance =5
• Assignment =10
• Practical work =15
• Mid exam =20
• Final exam =50
References:

1. Buol, S.W., F.D. Hole, R.J. McCracken and R.J. Southard, 1997. Soil genesis and
classification, 4th Ed. Panima Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, Bangalore. 527p.

2. Fanning, D.S. and M.C.B. Fanning, 1989. Soil morphology, genesis and
classification. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York. 395p.

3. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 1983.

Guidelines: Land evaluation for rainfed agriculture. Soils Bulletin 52. Rome, Italy.

4. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 1984. Land
evaluation for forestry. Forestry Paper 48. Rome, Italy.
Chapter 1. Introduction to Soil and Water Management

• Concept of soil conservation

Soils are water reservoirs that supply water to plant roots and perform other
roles.
Water :
 Lubricates the soil allowing root penetration
 Is necessary for microbial mobility and action
 Allows Nutrient mobility

Only 0.5% of the available water is fresh and usable in agriculture;

and this reserve is dwindling.
Increased losses through runoff and climatic changes continue to
reduce the effectiveness of available water
Concept of soil conservation…
In dry portion of the soil:
water uptake stops
Nutrient absorption ceases
Root growth practically stops.
The problem becomes more critical in arid regions which are
characterized by
Low amounts of precipitation from year to year
Periods of drought lasting several years.
Unfavorable distribution of precipitation throughout the course of the year.
Wide variability in the distribution of precipitation.
Relatively high precipitation intensities leading to greater runoff and accelerated
soil erosion.
Concept of soil conservation…
This necessitates use of
oDifferent crops and cropping systems
oIncreased use of irrigation, if possible, and
oAdoption of cultural methods of soil and water
management
Concept of soil conservation…
• Soil and water conservation is necessary for sustained productivity of
land.

• Soil erosion is prevented or reduced to a tolerable level, and water is

conserved for judicious utilization.

• Sustainable production implies that agricultural practices would lead

to economic gains without impairing environmental quality and the
usefulness of the soil for future generation.
Concept of soil conservation…
Therefore, the objectives for soil and water conservation are:
promotion of proper land use
prevention of soil erosion
restoration of the productivity of eroded land
maintenance of soil productivity
control of runoff, and regulation of water resource through
irrigation and drainage
maintenance of environmental quality by preventing land and
water pollution
Definition of soil and water conservation
Soil and water conservation is - a worldwide strategy in the context
of a sustainable and poverty-orientated natural resource management.

Soil and water conservation are those activities at the local level
which maintain or enhance the productive capacity of the land
including soil, water and vegetation in areas prone to degradation
through
prevention or reduction of soil erosion, compaction, salinity;
conservation or drainage of water and
maintenance or improvement of soil fertility
Definition of soil and water conservation
Soil and water conservation is an integral part of Watershed
Management.
Soil and Water Management- is the rational utilization of soil and
water resources for optimum and sustained production with minimum
hazard to natural resources, and increasing yield per unit area of land.
Soil Management could be:
• Conservation practices
• Maintenance of soil fertility
• Irrigation practices
• Drainage practices
Definition of soil and water
conservation…
The importance of soil management is to guarantee:
• Sustainable and profitable crop management, and
• Sustainable food production
Three approaches to water management on agricultural
fields include:
• Conservation of natural precipitation in Arid and Semi-arid regions
• Removal of water (drainage) from wetlands, and
• Irrigation (Addition of water) to supplement natural precipitates
Definition of soil and water
conservation…
Management of soil and water requires an in-depth knowledge of:
• Soil and water, and their relationships
• Cultural practices
• Soil and water conservation principles and practices
• Supply and availability of plant nutrients
• Maintenance of soil fertility and fertilize management
• Irrigation principles and practices
• Water resources and quantities
• Soil acidity problems
• Soil salinity and alkalinity problems, etc.
Participation
• Watershed Management relies on participation of the population in
planning, management and implementation as well as monitoring of
project activities.
• Participation means the involvement of interest groups, political
decision makers and local organisations in decision making processes
and their articulation of interests in those.
Participation…
• Participation has become a basic principle of Watershed Management
since it has been recognized that without participation of the
beneficiaries of project activities the endeavors often failed.
• The participation of the population, however, may
create interest in the process and motivation for the intended activities;
increase the prospect of institutional and environmental sustainability of the
project;
result in acceptance of responsibility by the population;
enhance the building and strengthening of democratic structures.
• Participation of the stakeholders is especially crucial in selection and implementation as well as
maintenance of soil and water conservation measures.
Soil and Water Conservation Measures
Purpose of Soil and Water Conservation Measures
Soil and water conservation measures are predominantly applied for
the following purposes:
to control runoff and thus prevent loss of soil-by-soil erosion, to reduce soil
compaction;
to maintain or to improve soil fertility;
to conserve or drain water;
to harvest (excess) water.
Classification of Soil and Water Conservation Measures

A variety of soil and water conservation measures are well known.

 These technologies can be differentiated either by their main purpose
or by type.
As many among them fulfil several functions simultaneously these are
classified here by type:
• physical measures (also termed mechanical or technical measures);
• biological measures (also termed vegetative measures);
• agronomic measures (sometimes called best management practices)
Application of Soil and Water Conservation Measures

• These measures are often used in combination, especially the many

traditional soil and water conservation techniques.
• This is increasingly considered as reasonable.
• Merely technical approaches are often not successful, especially
without participation of the local farmers, forest managers, etc.
• It has also been recognized that under modern circumstances
traditional measures alone may often be insufficient to conserve the
vital soil and water resources and have to be supplemented by modern
practices to achieve a sustainable resource management
 CHAPTER 2
2.LANDUSE PLANNIG AND LAND EVALUATION

2.1. Concepts on Land Evaluation

Almost every activity of man uses land and, human numbers and
activities have multiplied, land has become a scarce resources.

Decisions to change the use of land may lead to great benefits or

great losses:

 sometimes in economic terms,

 sometimes environmental changes.
So decision making about land use is a political activity, often
raising strong emotions and much influenced by the social and
economic situation.

Land varies greatly, in:

Topography,
Climate,
Geology,
Soil, and
Vegetation cover
In other words, “Land is not created equal”.
i.e. it varies in its:

Physical
Social properties
Economic
Geographic

A clear understanding of the opportunities and

limitations presented by these relatively permanent
factors of the environment is an essential part of
the rational discussion of changes in land use
Land evaluation concerns these opportunities and
limitations.

Generally, part of the solution to land use problem

is land evaluation in support of:

rational land use planning and

appropriate and sustainable use of natural and
human resources.
In appropriate land use leads to:

inefficient exploitation of natural resources,

destruction of the land resources
poverty and
other social problems.

Society must ensure that:

 land is not degraded and

it is used according to its capacity to satisfy human
needs for present and future generations while also
maintaining the earth’s ecosystems.
2.2. Definitions

Land: defined geographically as: a specific area of the earth’s surface

and its characteristics embrace all reasonably stable, or predictably cyclic,
attributes of the biosphere.

It includes:

atmosphere,
soil and the underlying geology,
hydrology,
plant and animal populations, and
the results of past and present human activity
Land Evaluation (LE): concerned with the assessment of
land performance when used for specified purposes.

It involves the execution and interpretation of basic surveys

and studies of:

climate,
soil,
vegetation, and
other aspects of land

to identify and make comparison of promising kinds

of alternative forms land use
LE predicts land performance, both:

in terms of the expected benefits and

constraints to productive land use,
as well as the expected environmental degradation due to
these uses.

LE: provides information and recommendations for

deciding 'Which crops to grow where' and related
questions.

LE: is the selection of suitable land, and suitable cropping,

irrigation and management alternatives that are physically
and financially practicable and economically viable.
2.3. Function of Land
• Land has different functions that can change over time.
• Different people may prefer different functions and consider the role of land
differently.
• The basic functions of land can be summarized as follows (FAO/UNEP, 1995).
Production function
Biotic environmental function
Climate regulation function
Hydrologic function
Storage function
Waste and pollution control function
Living space function
Archive or heritage function
Connective space function
2.4. Purposes and Principles of Land
Evaluation

Purposes of Land Evaluation:

• Thus land evaluation should answer the following

questions:

1) How is the land currently managed, and what will

happen if present practices remain unchanged?

2) What improvements in management practices, within

the present use, are possible?
3) What other uses of land are physically possible and
economically and socially relevant?

4) Which of these uses offer possibilities of sustained

production or other benefits?

5) What adverse effects, physical, economic or social, are

associated with each use?

6) What recurrent inputs are necessary to bring about

the desired production and minimize the adverse
effects?

7) What are the benefits of each form of use?

 If the introduction of a new use involves significant
change in the land itself, as for example in irrigation
schemes, then the following additional questions should
be answered:

1) What changes in the condition of the land are feasible

and necessary, and how can they be brought about?

2) What non-recurrent inputs are necessary to implement

these changes?
Principles of Land Evaluation

• Certain principles are fundamental to the approach and

methods employed in land evaluation. These basic
principles are as follows:

1) Land suitability is assessed and classified with respect to

specified kinds of uses and services.

2) Evaluation requires a comparison of the benefits

obtained and the inputs

3) Land evaluation requires multi-disciplinary and cross-

sectoral approach
4) Land evaluation should take into account the
biophysical, economic, social and political context as well
as environmental concerns in the area concerned (i.e.
don’t evaluate for impossible uses).

5) Suitability refers to use on a sustained basis

6) Evaluation involves comparison of more than a single

kind of use or service
7) Land evaluation should consider all stakeholders

8) Scale and level of decision-making should be defined

prior to land evaluation.
2.4.1. Actors of Land Evaluation

 These are five types of ‘actors’ in the land evaluation

processes:

1) Client
2) Land Evaluator
3) Land Use Expert
4) Land Resource Expert
5) Stakeholders
2.4.2. Approaches to Land Evaluation

 Two overall approaches are followed:

1) Two-stage and
2) Parallel approaches

Two-stage approach:

• The first stage is mainly concerned with qualitative

land evaluation,

• The second stage consisting of economic and social analysis.

• Often used:

• in resource inventories for broad planning purposes and

• in studies for the assessment of biological productive

potential

Parallel approach:

• the economic and social analysis of the kinds of land use

proceeds simultaneously with the survey and assessment of
physical factors.
The kinds of use to which the evaluation refers are usually
modified in the course of the study.

Two-stage Vs parallel approaches:

• The parallel approach is expected to give more precise

results in a shorter period of time.

• It offers a better chance of concentrating survey and data-

collection activities on producing information needed for
the evaluation.
• However, the two-stage approach appears more
straightforward, possessing a clear-cut sequence of
activities (without overlaping).

• Hence, permitting a more flexible timing of activities and of

staff recruitment.
2.4.3. Key Definitions of the FAO Framework

Major Kind of Land Use: a major subdivision of rural land use

Land Utilization Type (LUT): a kind of land use described or

defined in a degree of detail greater than that of a major kind
of land use

Land Use Requirements (LUR): a condition of the land

necessary for successful and sustained implementation of a
specific (LUT).

☞☞☞ They are the ‘demand’ side of the land –

land use equation: what the use requires of the land
Land Qualities (LQ): a complex attribute of land which
acts in a distinct manner in its influence on the suitability of
the land for a specific kind of use.

☞☞☞ LQs are the ‘supply’ side of the land - land use
equation: what the land can offer to the use.

Land Characteristics (LC): are simple attributes of the

land that can be directly measured or estimated in routine
survey in any operational sense
☞☞☞ effects of a LC on suitability are not direct, but
through their effect on land qualities.
Choice between LQs and LCs as a basis for
Land Evaluation

It is possible to use any of the following as a basis for the

assessment of land suitability:

Land qualities measured or estimated by means of land

characteristics
Land characteristics
A mixture of LQs and LCs.

☞☞☞ It is recommended that assessment should be based

upon LQs, although it is recognized that there will be
circumstances in which the use of LCs may be more convenient.
Advantages of LQs:

• directly related to the specific requirements of land use;

• take account of interactions between environmental
factors;
• The total number of LQs is considerably less than the
number of LCs.

Disadvantage of LQs:
• greater complexity of LQs, in that they require
intervening stages of converting characteristics for their
assessment.
• Advantages of using LCs:

• The evaluation procedures are simpler and direct,

• permitting a direct comparison between the characteristic observed

and the suitability rating.

Disadvantages(of LCs):

• very large number of characteristics are required,

• often not made clear what is the effect on the crop that results in a
characteristic being considered favorable or unfavorable, and the
failure to take account of interactions.
Criteria for the Selection of Land Use Requirements

There are four criteria by which we can select LURs:

(1) importance for the use;

(2) existence of critical values in the study zone;

(3) availability of data with which to evaluate the

corresponding LQ; and

(4) availability of knowledge with which to evaluate the

corresponding LQ.
2.4.4. Land Evaluation Procedures

 The main activities in a land evaluation are as follows (revised FAO

LE Framework, 2007):

1. Initial consultations with all stakeholders

2. Diagnosis of land use problems
3. Identification of kinds of land use (LUT)
4. Land use requirements, functions and limitations
5. Description of land mapping units and derivation of land qualities
6. Economic and social analysis
7. Comparison of kinds of land use with the types of land
present
8. Agronomic and biophysical research programme
9. Land suitability classification (qualitative or
quantitative)
10. Presentation of the results of the evaluation.
2.2.5. Structure of the Suitability Classification
Depending on the objectives of the evaluation, the suitability of an evaluation
unit for a land use can be described in four levels of detail:

1. Land Suitability Orders: kinds of suitability.

2. Land Suitability Classes: degrees of suitability within Orders.
3. Land Suitability Subclasses: kinds of limitation or main kinds of
improvement measures required, within Classes.
4. Land Suitability Units: minor differences in required management within
Subclasses.
1. Land Suitability Orders: two

Order S: Suitable and

Order N: Not suitable

2. Land Suitability Classes: five (3 S & 2 N)

1) Highly Suitable (S1)

2) Moderately Suitable (S2) under S-order
3) Marginally Suitable (S3)

4) Currently Not-suitable (N1) under N-order

5) Permanently Not-suitable (N2)
3. Land Suitability Subclasses

Not only the degree of suitability but also the nature of the
limitations

Designated by lower-case letters following the class code: e.g.

S3e and S3w.

S1 has no subclasses. (Why ?)

4. Land Suitability Units:

Differ in minor aspects of their management requirement

distinguished by arabic numbers following a hyphen, e.g. S2e-

1, S2e-2.
2.5. LAND EVALUATATION AND LAND USE PLANNING

2.5.1. Definitions

Land use: The management of land to meet human needs.

This includes rural land use and also urban and industrial use.

Land units: are areas that are relatively homogeneous with respect
to climate, landforms, soils and vegetation.

Each land unit presents similar problems and opportunities and will respond in
similar ways to management.
Land-use planning: is the systematic assessment of land and water
potential, alternatives for land use and economic and social conditions

→ in order to select and adopt the best land-use options.

Its purpose is to select and put into practice those land uses that will
best meet the needs of the people while safeguarding resources for the
future.

The driving force in planning is:

the need for change,

the need for improved management or
the need for a quite different pattern of land use dictated by changing
circumstances.
Planning also provides guidance in cases of conflict between rural
land use and urban or industrial expansion, by indicating which
areas of land are most valuable under rural use.

2.5.2. When is land-use planning useful?

Two conditions must be met if planning is to be useful:

the need for changes in land use, or action to prevent some
unwanted change, must be accepted by the people involved;

there must be the political will and ability to put the plan into effect.
People in Planning:

Land-use planning involves getting many different people to work

together towards common goals.

Three groups of people are directly involved:

Land users: These are the people living in the planning area whose
livelihood depends wholly or partly on the land.

Decision-makers: Decision-makers are those responsible for putting

plans into effect.

Planning team: Here a teamwork is essential. Ideally, a team needs a

wide range of special expertise
2.5.3. Focus of Land-Use Planning

Planning is for people:

People's needs drive the planning process.

Land is not the same everywhere:

Land is, self-evidently, the other focus of land-use planning.

Local farmers, other land users and the wider community who
depend on the land must accept the need for a change in land use, as
they will have to live with its results.
Land is not the same everywhere:
Unlike Capital, labor, management skills and technology, LAND
cannot be moved, and

Different areas present different opportunities and different

management problems.

Technology:
A third element in planning is knowledge of land-use technologies:

agronomy,
silviculture,
livestock husbandry and
other means by which land is used
The technologies recommended must be those for which users
have the capital, skills and other necessary resources; that is,
appropriate technology.

New technologies may have social and environmental implications

that should be addressed by the planner.

Integration:
Planning has to integrate information about:

the suitability of the land,

the demands for alternative products or uses and
the opportunities for satisfying those demands on the available
land, now and in the future.
2.5.4. Planning at different levels

Land-use planning can be applied at three broad levels: national,

district and local.

These are not necessarily sequential but correspond to the levels of

government at which decisions about land use are taken.

National level: (1:5 million to 1:1 million)

At the national level, planning is concerned with

national goals and
the allocation of resources.
In many cases, national land-use planning does not involve the actual allocation of land
for different uses, but the establishment of priorities for district-level projects.

A national land-use plan may cover:

 land-use policy: balancing the competing demands for land among

different sectors of the economy

 national development plans and budget: project identification and the

allocation of resources for development;

 coordination of sectoral agencies involved in land use;

 legislation on such subjects as land tenure, forest clearance and water

rights.
District level: (1:50000, s/t 1:250000)
District level refers not necessarily to administrative districts but also to
land areas that fall between national and local levels.

Development projects are often at this level, where planning first comes to
grips with the diversity of the land and its suitability to meet project goals.

The kinds of issues tackled at this stage include:

 the siting of developments such as new settlements, forest plantations and irrigation
schemes;

 the need for improved infrastructure such as water supply, roads and marketing facilities;

 the development of management guidelines for improved kinds of land use on each type of
land.
Local level: (1:20000 to 1:5000)

The local planning unit may be the village, a group of villages or a

small water catchment.

At this level, it is easiest to fit the plan to the people, making use of
local people's knowledge and contributions.

Local-level planning is about getting things done on particular

areas of land:

what shall be done where and when, and

who will be responsible.
Starting at the local level: bottom-up planning

"Bottom-up" planning is initiated at the local level and involves

active participation by the local community.

The experience and local knowledge of the land users and local
technical staff are mobilized to identify development priorities
and to draw up and implement plans.
2.5.5. LUP Guidelines

Every land-use planning project is different. Objectives and local

circumstances are extremely varied, so each plan will require a different
treatment.

However, a sequence of ten steps has been found useful as a guide.

Step 1. Establish goals and terms of reference.
Step 2. Organize the work.
Step 3. Analyze the problem.
Step 4. Identify opportunities for change.
Step 5. Evaluate land suitability.
Step 6. appraise the alternatives: environmental, economic, and social analysis.
Step 7. Choose the best option.
Step 8. prepare the land use-plan.
Step 9. implement the plan.
Step 10. Monitor and revise the plan.

In a still broader view, the steps can be grouped into the following logical
sequence:

 Identify the problems. Steps 1-3.

 Determine what alternative solutions exist. Steps 4-6.
 Decide which is the best alternative and prepare the plan. Steps 7-8.
 Put the plan into action, see how it works and learn from this experience. Steps 9-10.
2.5.6. The need for flexibility

These steps, and the detailed procedures described under each,

should not be followed rigidly.

What is important is to understand the purpose of each step or

detailed procedure

→ so that a decision can be made on whether it needs to be

followed through, modified or omitted in the specific situation.

It is not always possible to work through the procedures step by

step in this way.
☞ ☞ ☞ Two other approaches are possible:
emergency planning and
incremental planning.

Emergency planning:
Land-use planners are often called in when a problem situation
has already been identified, for example severe soil erosion or the
onset of salinization in an irrigation scheme.

An immediate diagnosis has to be made on the basis of a field

visit and whatever information is to hand.

Recommendations for remedial action are needed at once.

☞ Planning process begins at Step 3 and ends with Steps 4 to 10.
Incremental planning

Planning does not necessarily have to proceed by means of specific, time-

bound plans.

It can proceed incrementally, by making small local changes.

E.g. a crop variety that is attacked by a pest, can be identified early on

before losses have become serious.

→ This is how individual land users operate, but planners can also
contribute.
The initiative for incremental planning is likely to come from the land
users (bottom-up planning).

☞ ☞ ☞ It requires that the planning agency should be on the spot and

continuously in touch with the land users

This approach again commences with: a perceived problem, Step 3,

followed by a compressed version of Steps 4 to 10 →

→ in which one or more solutions to the problem are identified, their

consequences considered and action taken.
2.6. Land Capability Classification/USDA
Land Evaluation (USDA-NRCS)
Capability:
refers to general kinds of land use
no-one expect to make detailed statements about
land use and management in a capability
classification.

Land Capability Classification (LCC):

a grouping of kinds of soil into special units,
subclasses and classes according to their capability
for intensive use and the treatments required for
sustained use.
Objectives:

To classify soil mapping units according to their

ability to support general kings of use without
degradation or significant off-site effects, for farm
planning.
2.6.1. Assumptions (LCC)

1) Considers only relatively-permanent land characteristics.

2) Within a class: very different soils but with the same
degree (in a subclass, also kind) of limitations.
3) Not a productivity rating.
4) No attempt to determine profitability.
5) A single, moderately to high level of management is
assumed.
6) If major land improvements are made, the land should
be reclassified. The cost of the land improvement is not
considered.
7) Geographic factors are not included.
2.6.2. Structure of LCC
Three levels:
1. Capability Classes: indicate the degree of limitation
Eight LCC:
Class I the least limited to Class VIII the most
limited

2. Capability Subclasses: indicate the major limitations,

represented by lower-case-letters.
Class 1 has no subclasses. WHY ???

3. Capability unit: a division of the subclass nearly identical in its

management requirements.
Description of Capability Classes

Class I: (very intensive cultivation)

Deep and well drained soils
Nearly level topography
Few limitations on their use

Class II: (intensive cultivation)

Have some limitations
☞ Reduce choice of uses or
☞ Require moderate conservation practice
Row crops-restricted
Conservation tillage
Grass waterways
Contour strips
Class III: (moderate cultivation)
Have severe limitations
☞ Reduce choice of plants or
☞ Require special conservation practices or
☞ both
Row crops-severely restricted

Calss IV: (limited cultivation)

Severe limitation on choice of crops and management
practices
Crops should be close-growing types
Row-crops cannot be grown safely, except in no-tillage
system
Class V: (intensive grazing)
Not suitable for crop production not because of erosion
hazard , but:
☞ Frequent steam overflow
☞ Short growing season impractical

☞ Stony or rocky soils and to remove

☞ Ponded areas-drainage is not feasible

Class VI: (moderate grazing)

Have extreme limitation typically
☞ Steep slope
☞ Erosion hazard
Class VII: (limited grazing)
Have extrem limitations
Restricted to controlled grazing
Pasture improvement is impractical

Calss VII:
Not used for any kind of commercial production
Restricted to:
☞ Recreation
☞ Wildlife
☞ Water supply
☞ Aesthetic purpose
Eight LCCs are firther grouped into two:

Classes I to IV: Cultivated Lands

Calsses V to VIII: Not Cultivated Lands

In their present state under normal management

 Increasing limitations and hazards

Decreasing adaptability and freedom of choice uses

I
II

V
III
IV

VI
LCC

VII
VIII
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Wilde life

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Forestry

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Limited
X
X
X
X
X
X

Moderate
Grazing

X
X
X
X
X

Intense
Increasing intensity of land use

X
X
X
X

Limited
X
X
X

Moderate
X
X

Intense
Cultivation

Very
Intense
Criteria in LCC

Soil + Environmental factors – limiting factors

Major factors affecting land capability for cultivation

and management:
☞ Climate ☞ Texture
☞ Topgraphy ☞ WHC
☞ Depth ☞ Permeability
☞ Drainage ☞ Inherent fertility
Principal factors:

Used for LCC operation

☞ A. Depth
☞ B. Topography
☞ C. Drainage
☞ D. Texture
Major Problems of LCC:

Completely ignores economic factors

Land evaluation- not specific uses
Indicates negative/limitations of land
Subjective
2.7. Traditional land capability classification in Ethiopia (tentative scheme Developed by Tamirie, 1973)

• As USAD natural resource conservation service, Tamirie (1973) also propose

eight land capability classes for the classification of Ethiopian soil .
• These cases are numbered in roman numerals from I to VIII.
• The eight land capability classes are further grouped into two groups according to
U.S soil conservation service and into three (3) groups according to Tamire
(1973).
• Tamirie (1973) establishes two various classes of depth, slope, drainage and
texture given under (3, 2) for classifying Ethiopia soil into these 8 land capability
classes and various subclasses within a class.

Ayele Akuma Aga, Asst. Prof 83

Land capability groups and classes of the U.S soil conservation service and Tamirie
Hawando (1973). See for the details from your handout

U.S soil conservation service Proposed by Tamirie

Groups Class Groups Class

Group 1 Class I-IV Group 1 Class I-IV

Group 2 Class V-VIII Group 2 Class V-VI

    Group 3 Class VII-VIII

Ayele Akuma Aga, Asst. Prof 84