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Stone bunding (kab) is an age-old local conservation practice at Mesobit-Gedeba. This study was conducted to assess the effect of this indigenous practice on crop yield. We compared original ground slope, terrace width, and slope position of the terraced area. The effect of slope width and slope position were found significant (p < 0Á05) for both grain and biomass yields of the terraced sites. The mean grain and biomass yields decreased as the original ground slope of the terraced site increased. Both grain and biomass yields decreased with the width of the inter-terrace area. Significant differences (p < 0Á05) in mean grain and biomass yields were observed between the three slope positions. They decreased as one moved up the slope within the interterrace area. In general, the study indicated that indigenous stone bunding has a positive effect on sorghum yield. Future studies should address different locations and crops and ways of integrating indigenous stone bunding with the current conservation programmes of the region.

Land degradation due to soil erosion is the major problem facing Ethiopia today. In the Lake Alemaya catchment soil erosion is caused by the intense rainfall, steep topography, and poor vegetation cover coupled with cultivation of steep lands, and inadequate conservation practices. Sediment from the catchment has affected the storage capacity of Lake Alemaya. This study has integrated the Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution Model (AGNPS) and the technique of the Gographic Information System (GIS) to quantify soil erosion in the Lake Alemaya catchment. After application of the AGNPS, it appears that 66 per cent of the catchment has a soil erosion rate of 10 to more than 80 t ha À1 y À1. The annual soil loss is estimated at 31 t ha À1 , which is more than the permissible value of 1-16 t ha À1 for different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. The sediment yield of the catchment is about 10 148 ton with a delivery ratio of 6Á82 per cent. Therefore, an effective management plan is needed for the conservation and rehabilitation of the catchment and to maintain the storage capacity of Lake Alemaya.