Site and site information

Land uses

History and management of the agricultural land uses

Wondo Genet College campus (WGCC)

Situated at N07˚06.285 and E038˚37.140, elevation-1757 m a.s.l,

Maize

(Zea mays)

Ploughed by a tractor; fertilized (100 kg∙ha⁻¹ urea; 150 kg∙ha⁻¹ DAP); maize was the predominant crop; cultivated since 1954 after forest clearing; most crop residues were removed.

Coffee,

(Coffea arabica).

Shade trees, mainly Cordia africana and Albizia gummifera (60%) and 14 other shade tree species; the coffee bush density is 2500 plants∙ha⁻¹; no fertilization or manure application; weed slashed once a year; stumped twice; coffee berries were harvested (hand-picked) every year; has been under coffee since 1950 after forest clearing.

Gotu

Smallholder farmland, situated at N 07˚05.303 and E038˚38.158N, elevation-1873 m a.s.l,

Maize

Traditional farming ploughed by oxen; fertilized (DAP ~20 kg∙ha⁻¹); maize was the predominant crop; cultivated for more than 20 years; most crop residue removed.

Khat

FYM (~7 t∙ha⁻¹) is applied; leaf parts harvested two to three times a year, the khat field that had been under maize cultivation was converted to khat after 1992.

Finance

Smallholder farmland, Situated at N 07˚06.003 and E038˚36.758, elevation-1731 m a.s.l,

Maize

Traditional farming ploughed by oxen; fertilized (DAP ~20 kg∙ha⁻¹); has been predominantly under maize production for more than 30 years; most crop residue removed.

Coffee

Coffee plantation with shade tree, Cordia africana, 125 trees∙ha⁻¹; Coffee plant density 2500 trees∙ha⁻¹; no fertilization or FYM; no planned weeding; coffee berries harvested (hand-picked) every year; Part of field under maize cultivation was converted to this coffee plantation after 1982.

Sugar cane

Land prepared by hoe for planting sugarcane; sugarcane at the middle of the rotation; fertilizer(DAP ~15 kg∙ha⁻¹) and FYM (~7.5 t∙ha⁻¹) applied; trash used for animal feed; irrigated; harvested every 18 months; Part of field under maize cultivation was converted to this sugarcane plantation after 1984.

Chaffee

Smallholder farmland, situated at N 07˚04.430 and E038˚35.612, elevation-1700 m a.s.l,

Maize

Traditional agriculture ploughed by oxen; fertilized (DAP ~20 kg∙ha⁻¹); has been under maize cultivation since before 1988; most crop residue removed.

Khat

FYM applied (~4.5 t∙ha⁻¹), leaf parts harvested twice a year, the land was under maize cultivation and was converted to khat after 1988.

Sugar cane

Land prepared by hoe for planting sugarcane; sugarcane close to harvest; Land prepared by hoe; FYM applied (~4.5 t∙ha⁻¹); trash used for animal feed; irrigated; harvested every 18 months; the land had been under maize cultivation before 1988.