This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In drought-prone regions of Ethiopia, growing more food could start with something as simple as keeping more rainwater in the ground. New research co-authored by FIU Earth and Environment professor Assefa Melesse found that changing how farmers plow and protect their fields can help prevent precious rainwater—and the fertile soil and nutrients it carries—from washing away.
The result: healthier soil and, for the crop studied in this research, bigger wheat harvests. The findings are published in the journal Ecosystem Services. Researchers spent three growing seasons in central Ethiopia testing several climate-smart farming practices, both individually and together.
The most effective combination increased wheat yields by more than 27% while reducing soil loss by 76%. The findings could be particularly important for small farming operations that depend heavily on rainfall. Long dry periods can devastate crops in the region, where researchers say as much as 50% to 70% of rainfall can be lost before reaching crop roots, taking valuable soil and nutrients with it.
The researchers tested several relatively simple ways to keep more water and soil on farmland. One involved building soil bunds—small earthen barriers across sloping fields that slow water as it flows downhill. Another left wheat residue on the ground to act as mulch, protecting soil from intense sunlight and pounding rain.
Researchers also tested the Berken plow, which creates deeper furrows that help water soak into the ground while reducing the need for repeated plowing. That approach delivered some of the strongest overall results, cutting water runoff and increasing the amount of water available to plants, which led to higher wheat yields and less soil loss. Some individual measures also produced substantial benefits.
Soil bunds alone reduced runoff by 57% and soil loss by 73%. While the research focuses on farming operations in Ethiopia, Melesse said the suggested techniques could be helpful in other places grappling with soil erosion. But keeping more water on fields is only part of the challenge.
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