www.iaard.net IAARD Journals eISSN:2456-009X International Journal of Agriculture And Veterinary Sciences IAARD-International Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, 2017, 3(2),20-28 Determinants Of Farmers’ Willingness To Participatein Soil And Watershed Conservation Practice: The Case Of Indris Major Watershed Tokke Kutaye Woreda; Oromia Regional State Haile Tamiru Urgessa …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....... Abstract: This study attempts to identify factors that determine farmers’ willingness to participate in soil conservation and watershed practices aimed at achieving sustainable development through effective land management and watershed practice in Indris major watershed, Toke kutayeworeda, Oromia Regional State in Ethiopia. Primary data for the study were collected through household questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, key informants interviews and personal observations while secondary data were collected from relevant local authority reports and records. The findings of the research showed that the district is experiencing increasing land degradation due to high topography and rapid population growth. Logistic regression model results reveal that educational status of farmers and their access to extension services have significant positive impact on farmers’ use of both soil and water conservation. The study concludes that in making interventions in land management, there should be active participation of local stakeholders, primarily the farmers. This helps to integrate indigenous land management practices and the new techniques; enhance easy adoption and sustainable use of effective soil and watershed conservation practices. Keywords: Determinants , Participation Farmers, willingness ofFarmers, soil conservation, watershed practices; Ethiopia. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1.1 Background of the study the efforts being made, there is little adoption of introduced Ethiopia is rich by various endowment of natural conservation measures by farmers in the study area especially resource, such as land, water, minerals and forest. Even in certain programs [6]. though, for a long period of time little attention was given for In response to extensive degradation of its resource base, the conservation of these natural resources [1] . But at the besides the indigenous practices being under taken, Ethiopia recent time the government of Ethiopia gives great attention has taken some measures to mitigate the problem of soil for the conservation of these natural resources. Specially, the erosion and enhance or maintain the production potential of government gives attention and develops different guidelines agricultural land [7]. During the past decades physical soil and programs in order to reduce land degradation, especially conservation measures, such as bunds, check dams, cut of to reduce soil erosion as well as to conserve other natural drains etc were done in large quantities and millions of forest resource. From these programs the soil conservation and and multipurpose species of seedling were distributed to water shade management plays a great contribution to reduce farmers by governments and NGO’s. land degradation [2] . Farmers’ willingness to participate in soil However, land degradation in general and soil conservation and watershed practice is an important social erosion in particular still the major challenges that are factor that is so significant in determining alternatives for adversely affecting the agricultural productivity that leads to improving poor soil conservation, to reduce soil erosion as shortage of food in different part of the country; it hence the well as for improving poor land use. Understanding farmers’ call for improved land management practices [3].The broad knowledge, their willingness and the causes that affect their concept of land management practices refers to activities on participation in soil conservation and watershed practice are the land that use appropriate technologies for the the most important for promoting soil conservation in the enhancement of productive capacity of the land. Thus soil study area. It is also very important to identify how the conservation and watershed management practice approach societies are willing to participate in soil conservation and emphasizes finding economically feasible, socially watershed practice and to assess the level of understanding in acceptable and ecologically sound solutions at a local level, the communal about solutions [8]. which could promote participatory watershed management The major cause of the problem of sustainability lies practices to deal with land degradation [4]. on this resistance of some farmers who resist participating on Soil conservation and watershed management the activities they are provided for the practice. Farmers, practice is one of the main government projects that intention rather frequently ignore newly introduced technology in soil to combat land degradation and other types of natural conservation and watershed practice even when they are resources degradation and restore soil fertility in Ethiopia aware that the measures to protect and improves productivity [5].The development objective of soil conservation and of their own lands. The next activity requires identification of watershed management practice is to reduce land barriers to find solution and facilitators of adoption of the degradation, increase ownership security and improve technologies [9]. Once the barriers and facilitators are agricultural productivity of small holder farmers in the identified, recommendations can be made on appropriate intervention areas. Society's attention to the problem is steps that need to be taken to enhance the adoption of the increased and some organizations are trying to involve technologies in soil conservation and watershed practice and farmers at varying degrees and levels of activities. In spite of to promote land management practice [9]. Haile Tamiru Urgessa Page No.20 IAARD-International Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, 2017, 3(2), 20-28 In Ethiopia, a significant number of studies improve the food security situation in general. have been done on land degradation and determinants of land management practices in different 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITE RATURE ON SOIL parts of the country. These works mainly water harvesting CONSERVATION AND WATERSHED PRACTICE concepts and roles of water harvesting, traditional farmers’ PRACTICES land management practices, by government and other 2.1 Concept of soil conservation practice actors, farmers’ perception on soil fertility change and Soil conservation is defines the aim of soil management as on causes of land degradation [8,4,3]. These and other related “maintenance of the organiccontent of the soil, to maintain issues are still questions to the government, policy makers fertility and retain the soil structure. Soil conservation and for concerned experts. Still in study area there is no such measures can be defined by any set of measures intended to well-organized and documented research result, which can control or prevent soil erosion, or to maintain fertility. The expose the status of promotion and factors that affect the biggestconcern of the Ethiopian agricultural sector is the farmers’ participation in soil conservation and watershed widespread degradation of landcontributing to declining practice in the study area. Of course, there are reports agricultural productivity. Soil however is only one of prepared by different governmental and non-governmental thedetermining factors of agricultural production [12]. organizations based on short visit observations in different part of country. These report results, however, are not based Nonetheless, it is not the mostimportant land on systematic analysis and are not sufficient to point out the degradation problem to farmers in neither many places, nor wide-ranging factors that affect the farmers’ participation in one that they are likely to take action to for prevention. In a soil conservation and watershed practice in the region [10]. semi-arid area, farmers may be more concerned about Also the current study is different from other in its scope, conserving water than soil. When dealing with soil objectives and methodology which others were focused on degradation and erosion one should also consider climate and part of sustainable land management and while this study water resources as important factors. In this context it is more was concentrated on concept of soil conservation and appropriate to refer to soil and water conservation (SWC) watershed practice, and the degree at which they are than to soil conservation alone. Investments in soil and water participating to overcome the socio-economic and conservation measures (construction of terraces, soil bunds, environmental impact of land degradation in relative to rapid gully treatment, irrigation, drainage, use of inorganic population growth and growing demand for cultivation of fertilizers, etc.) contribute to improved land management [13]. land which in the study area. For effective implementation of soil conservation practice, the most important activity is 2.2 Soil conservation condition in Ethiopia necessary to identify farmers’ willingness of participation in Soil erosion and its resultant factors have been highly soil conservation and watershed practice [11]. affecting productivity of Ethiopian peoples. Cognizant of Therefore, the important issues and problems that these problems, soil and