Abstract

Habtamu Alemayehu Lorebo

Soil degradation is the primary restriction affecting many developing countries' agricultural systems. Ethiopia is a developing country in horn Africa that is severely challenged by soil degradation issues. The main processes of soil deterioration are acidification and salinization. Furthermore, soil salinity is one of the primary reasons obstructing and preventing lucrative and sustainable agricultural productivity in many African countries as well as many other regions of the world. Soil degradation, which can be caused by salinity and sodicity, is considered as an environmental problem with severe adverse effects on agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semiarid region. The main goal of the seminar is to highlight the problems of salt affected soils to agricultural production in Ethiopia's lowlands, as well as management strategies for alleviating soil salinity and increasing crop output. Soil salinity affects over half of Ethiopia's arable land. Strong saline soils cover more than half of the arable land affected by salt affected soils. Researchers discovered two primary reasons that limit saline soil fertility: the presence of phytotoxicity substances and nutrient shortage. Numerous strategic salt affected management plans have been created to address these issues in the country's lowlands. Several studies have been undertaken on soil management, which influences the physiochemical qualities of the soil and crop productivity in various ways. Thus, the primary goal of this seminar is to emphasize various literatures on the ideas of soil salinity, its causes and extents in highland areas of the country, as well as its impacts on soil and crop productivity through strategic management strategies. Many findings suggested that gypsum, compost and bio-char improved soil physiochemical parameters such as soil texture, pH, accessible P, micronutrient, organic carbon, Echangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) and crop yield and productivity.