Expanding efficient irrigation development on various scales is one of the best alternatives to provide reliable and sustainable food security. However, many irrigation schemes in developing countries in general and particularly in Ethiopia are performing below capacity. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of wosha soyama irrigation scheme at Wondo Genet South Nation Nationality and People Regional State, Ethiopia. The evaluation carried out using standard technical performance indicators including conveyance, application, water storage, water distribution uniformity efficiency and deep percolation loss were used at the head, middle and tail reach of the scheme. The study shows that application efficiency was very low which is 48.2% due to higher water loss through deep percolation. Conveyance efficiency, water storage, water distribution uniformity efficiency, and deep percolation loss were revealed 55.6, 89.8, 91.7 and 51.8%, respectively. The overall efficiency was also below the desired level which is 26%. Based on the above observation, adoption of water saving practices such as deficit irrigation, surge and cutoff application to improving application, frequent maintains of water conveyance system can enhance the conveyance efficiency of the scheme.

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This study examined how the livelihood assets influence enset farmers’ decisions to control the disease Xanthomonas Wilt. For examining how household adopt their farming practices to control the disease and preserve their livelihoods, useful theoretical architecture represented by Sustainable Rural Livelihood (SRL) framework were used. Empirically, double-hurdle model was applied. The results indicated that the human, social, natural, physical capitals and vulnerability context are the driving factors for adopting the recommended EXW controlling strategies. Natural capital negatively associated with extent of adoption decision of the farmer whereas the social capital influences it positively. This finding promotes the importance of improvement of livelihood assets to enable significant support to the natural and social capitals of the farmer that provide important resources and information exchange for continuous adoption of EXW controlling strategies.

Nowadays the impact of land use change on different natural and manmade resources including soil resources is getting increased attention globally. Information about impact of land use systems on soil physico-chemical properties is crucial for best land management practices. This study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of land use/land cover on the physicochemical properties of soils of wudma area, southern Ethiopia. The land use systems studied included grazing land, cultivated land, eucalyptus plantation and natural forest. The research was superimposed on land use systems that were located nearby on similar soil. Undisturbed core and disturbed composite soil samples were collected randomly with four replications for each land use system. The influence of land use systems on soil properties were analysed using the analysis of variance general linear model procedure of SAS software. Mean differences due to land use, were identified using The Least Significant Difference (LSD) test after differences were found statistically significant. The results showed that most of the soil physicochemical properties varied with land use systems. For instance soil texture, bulk density, pH (H 2 O), OM, Total N, available p, CEC, exchangeable K, studied were significantly affected (P ≤ 0.05 and/or P ≤ 0.01) by land use. In contrast, silt, total porosity, exchangeable Na, carbon to nitrogen ratios, was not significantly (P > 0.05) different due to land use. Generally, comparisons between cultivated on one hand and the forest, eucalyptus and grazing lands on the other revealed a highly significant difference on soil fertility parameters. For instance the highest mean values of pH, OM and CEC, TN, Ca and Na were observed in the surface of forest land soil with (6.4, 8.1, 75 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.4, 60, 0.84 cmol (+) kg-1) were observed under the forest land as compared to the lowest values (5.6, 3.8, 35 cmol (+) kg-1, 0.19, 14 and 0.48 cmol (+) kg -1) in the cultivated land respectively. The results of study showed that forest clearing and subsequently cultivation and tillage practices resulted in the decline of the soil quality and these changes effects on soil sensitivity to degradation and erosion. Therefore, reducing the intensity of cultivation and adopting integrated soil fertility management could maintain the existing soil condition and replenish the degraded soil properties of the area.