ADOPTION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES: A SURVEY IN YEKRAR SUB WATERSHED, DEBARK WOREDA NORTH WESTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Abstract This research is Yekrar Sub watershed, located Debark Woreda north Gondar Administration, In the study area conservation government’s office of agriculture and rural development in Resource Management Program (SRMP), NGO. The main purpose of the study is to assess the type and level of soil and water conservation technologies and investigate the relationship that exist between demographic, socioeconomic, institution and physical conditions of the area with the farmers adoption of newly introduced conservation practices. the qualitative and quantitative data obtained through different data collection techniques were analysed using appropriate methods of analysis. The quantitative techniques employed included descriptive statistics, cross tabulation chi-square and t-test analysis and The qualitative techniques were used to indicate: the bio- physical characteristics of the area, the degree of soil erosion, SWC measures in the area and the conservation and risk hazard effects of each conservation measures So as to collect relevant data at household and from plot level, structured questionnaire, field survey in the form of transect walk and focused group discussion were employed. Random sample of 176 household and 437 from plots were included. According to the results analysis sex, family size, land holding, on farm income, livestock holding, access to training, slope, distance to the farm plot and the level of soil fertility are among the variables, having significant with adoption of any kind of SWC measures at any level. On the other hand age, education level, perception of soil erosion problem, off farm income, visits by development agents and tenure security are among the variables that are not significantly correlated with conservation technology adoption. Soil and water conservation program should be designed by taking in to consideration the variation that may exist among individual household and plots, that adoption of SWC technologies are determined by different personal, demographical, socioeconomic, institutional and physical factors,.