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Agroecological assessment of Ethiopian Vertisols

T.A. Bull

AACM Advisory Team Agricultural Development Department Ministry

of Agriculture
PO Box 60147, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Present address: AACM Company Pty Ltd. 11-13 Bentham Street,

Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia

Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results and discussion
References

Abstract
A simple agroecological zonation system developed by the AACM (Australian
Agricultural Consulting and Management) Agricultural Advisory Team in the
Agricultural Development Department of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture has
been used to define the distribution of Vertisols in Ethiopia. Vertisols are found in all
but two of the 25 agroecological zones (AEZ). In addition, although Vertisols occur
in all eight administrative zones, they predominate (>25% of the arable area) in only
three, the central, northwest and southeast zones. Hence, programmes to support
adaptive research and extension of improved Vertisol management practices
should be centred on these AEZs and administrative zones.

If appropriate surface/subsurface drainage measures were implemented on

25-50% of the Vertisol areas in the main AEZs, then a conservative estimate of
potential food grain production would be about 12 million t. This figure highlights the
critical need to make better use of these soils in a country which is striving for food
self-sufficiency.

Introduction
The AACM (Australian Agricultural Consulting and Management) Agricultural

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Advisory Team was attached to the Ethiopian Agricultural Development Department

(ADD) of the Ministry of Agriculture in late 1984. The team reviewed past trials and
demonstrations conducted by the ADD in order to formulate a new trials
programme of improved crop production technologies designed for the peasant
sector. One prerequisite for this programme was to develop a suitable agroclimatic
zonation system so that past data could be aggregated on a rational basis to
provide a framework for selecting new trial sites. The prime requirement was for a
simple system which could be readily understood by field officers and be useful to
national and regional planning programmes

The agroecological approach has been used to formulate the framework for a
National Field Trials Programme which has been implemented by the ADD. This
programme locates adaptive trial sites in the major agroecological zones (AEZ)/soil
units of each region so that representative fertilizer and agronomic practices can
be developed for extension to peasant farmers.

This paper concentrates on the assessment of Vertisol areas found in the various
AEZs and the implications for trials and agricultural production.

Methods
Several agroecological type zonation systems have been utilised in Ethiopia in the
past. The Ministry of Agriculture grouped agricultural areas according to loosely
defined altitude classes (high, medium and low) and soil colour (red or black). An
equally broad approach based on three land use classes (high potential cereal
cropping, high potential perennial cropping and low potential cropping) was adopted
by the Ethiopian Highland Reclamation Study (Cloutier, 1984) and by ILCA (Amare
Getahun, 1978; Gryseels and Anderson, 1983). Neither of these systems is
sufficiently detailed for planning research, development and extension programmes

A more realistic approach, based on a combination of altitude, rainfall and soil

colour was proposed by Pinto (1984), but it contained too many classes to be
practical at a field level. However, the concept was very useful and a similar but
more refined approach has been developed by the Land Use Planning and
Regulatory Department (LUPRD) of the Ministry of Agriculture for the preparation of
land resources maps (Hendrickson et al, 1984). In this approach the major factors
considered in assessing land resources are:

· length of growing period (LGP) - a function of rainfall,

evapotranspiration, soil water storing capacity and meteorological
hazards. The calculation of LGP has been developed by FAO (1978)
and although it cannot account for local conditions like runoff during
high intensity rains, soil water augmentation from subsurface drainage,
variable soil water storage characteristics, etc. it remains a useful
concept at regional and national levels.

· thermal zone (TZ) - a function of temperatures prevailing during the

growing season and closely related to altitude in Ethiopia.

· landscape units-these combine aspects of the prevailing landform,

distribution of slope classes and the major soil types.

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Unfortunately the LUPRD land resource classification is based on relatively scant

meteorological information and on satellite imagery which has not been fully verified
on the ground. However, it remains the most complete and up to date information
available for the whole country.

Consequently the land resource maps and supporting documents have been used
to define a simple system of agroecological zonation The length of the growing
period and thermal zone were chosen as the basic climatic factors to define the
main AEZs. Five classes of LGP and five TZ were selected to define 25 possible
AEZs representative of the whole country:

Length of growing period Thermal zone

LI = <90 days T1 = <500 metres
LII = 91-150 days T2 = 500-1300 metres
LIII = 151-210 days T3 = 1300-2000 metres
LIV = 211-270 days T4 - 2000-3000 metres
LV = >270 days T5 = >3000 metres

Within each AEZ the areas of the various landscape units have been measured,
and from these data the areas of the individual soil classes and slope classes have
been estimated. From an aggregation of these data, these areas have been
calculated:

· gross area-total land area within a given AEZ.

· arable area-area remaining after deduction of the areas of Lithosols,

lithic phases, swamps, lakes and land with slopes of >30%.

· weighted area-area calculated by applying a population density factor

to highlight those locations already intensively developed for
agriculture. (Weighted area (WA) is calculated from arable area (AA)
and population density per km² (PD) by WA - AA x PD/200.)

· soil classes-total area occupied by given soil classes in each AEZ.

· slope classes-the areas located within each of the four main slope
classes (0-8, 8-16, 16-30 and >30%) in each AEZ.

The full details of the system and the results obtained on a regional and national
basis have been summarised (AACM, 1987).

Results and discussion

Vertisols occupy almost 12 million ha, or nearly 19% of the arable area of Ethiopia
and 22% of the weighted area currently being intensively farmed. As the third most
common soils after Nitosols and Cambisols, they clearly represent a major soil
resource in the country which is vastly underexploited due to management
difficulties using the traditional cultivation practices.

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Zonal distribution of soil classes

Vertisols occupy more than 10% of the soils in all administrative zones of the
country, but are the most important component (>25%) in the central, northwest
and southeast administrative zones (Table 1). Hence, the development of improved
management practices for Vertisols will have important implications for increasing
crop production in all administrative zones.

Table 1. Areas (expressed in million ha) of the major soil classes in the
administrative zones in Ethiopia.

Soil class Administrative zone a

CEN NW W S SE E NE N
Nitosols 0.8 3.7 8.1 1.2 0.4 0.1 0.1 -
Cambisols 1.3 0.8 0.5 3.1 1.8 1.2 1.0 2.3
Vertisols 1.6 2.7 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.2 0.3 0.9
Luvisols 0.4 2.3 0.1 1.3 0.7 0.5 0.1 0.6
Fluvisols 0.2 0.1 1.6 1.4 0.2 1.0 0.2 1.3
Xerosols - - - 0.9 0.9 2.5 - 1.1
Solonchaks 0.1 - - 0.1 - - - -
Acrisols - 0.4 1.3 0.1 - - - -
Others 0.2 0.1 0.4 - 0.3 1.3 0.1 -
Total 4.6 10.1 14.0 9.7 6.1 9.0 2.9 7.2
% Vertisol 35 27 14 16 26 13 10 13

a. Zones:

CEN - Central (Shewa)

NW = Northwest Gojam & Gonder)
W = West (Kefa, Ilubabor & Wellega)
S = South (Sidamo & Gamo Gofa)
SE - Southeast (Arsi & Bale)
E - East (Harerge)
NE = Northeast (Wello)
N = North (Eritrea & Tigray)

Agroecological distribution of Vertisols

National arable areas

Vertisols occur in all but two of the AEZs in Ethiopia (Table 2), but tend to be
concentrated in four main AEZs:

LII T2 1.89 million ha LIV T3 1.59 million ha

LIV T4 1.31 million ha LIII T3 1.28 million ha

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These four AEZs contain more than 50% of the total area of Vertisols in the
country.

Although these four AEZs are important on the basis of Vertisol area, these soils
comprise only 20-40% of the total arable soils in each AEZ (Table 3). Vertisols
assume much greater relative significance in the AEZs LII T1, LIII T1, LIV T1 and
LV T1, where they occupy 56-79% of the arable area. The total area of these AEZs
is relatively small, but proper Vertisol management will be critical to enhanced
agricultural production.

Zonal arable areas

When the distribution of Vertisol occurrence in the AEZs of the administrative zones
is considered (Table 4), the relative importance of the AEZs containing large areas
of Vertisols differs (Table 5).

These are the AEZs which must be considered in each region when assessing the
type of improved Vertisol management practices required for future development.

Table 2. Potential arable areas (expressed in thousand ha) of Vertisols in the

different agroecological zones.

Thermal zone (TZ)b Length of growing period (LGP)a Total

LI LII LIII LIV LV
T1 230 170 630 690 40 1760
T2 704 1888 613 107 119 3431
T3 182 511 1279 1588 461 4021
T4 - 77 602 1310 634 2623
T5 - 36 15 47 3 101
Total 1116 2682 3139 3742 1257 11936

a. LI = < 90 days b. T1 = < 500 metres

LII = 91 - 150 days T2 = 500 - 1300 metres
LIII = 151 - 210 days T3 = 1300 - 2000 metres
LIV = 211 - 270 days T4 = 2000 - 3000 metres
LV = > 270 days T5 = > 3000 metres

Table 3. Vertisols as a percentage of the total arable area in the different

agroecological zones.

Thermal zone (TZ)b Length of growing period (LGP)a Mean

LI LII LIII LIV LV
T1 5.6 63.2 79.4 55.8 62.5 27.2
T2 5.7 29.6 15.5 3.8 8.1 12.7

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T3 6.5 12.4 30.0 20.3 10.9 18.7

T4 - 13.3 35.0 41.9 25.3 32.7
TS - 40.0 4.2 19.9 1.0 12.6
Mean 6.3 23.5 29.0 24.6 14.6 18.7

a. and b. Refer to Table 2 footnotes.

Table 4. Arable area (expressed in thousand ha) of Vertisols in the different

agroecological zones.

AEZb Administrative zone a

CEN NW W S SE E NE N

LI T1 190 40
T2 595 26 59 3 21
T3 46 136
T4
T5
LII T1 108
T2 1 911 7 71 332 1 5 560
T3 128 56 120 70 137
T4 43 34
T5 36
LIII T1 603
T2 545 30 34 4
T3 169 385 85 107 481 52
T4 432 58 112
T5 11 4
LIV T1 653
T2 107
T3 412 353 319 84 47 373
T4 466 478 50 316
T5 47
LV T1
T2 12 107 46
T3 27 193 195
T4 17 8 68 541
T5 3
Total 1582 2672 1982 1569 1572 1204 325 864

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a. Refer to Table 1 footnote.

b. Refer to Table 2 footnotes.

Table 5. Relative importance of the agroecological zones containing large

areas of Vertisols.

Administrative Agroecological Percent of Vertisol area in

zones zones administrative zone
Central LIV T4 LIII T4 57
Northwest LII T2 LIII T2 54
West LIV T1 LIII T1 63
South LI T2 LV T3 50
Southeast LV T4 LII T2 56
East LIII T3 LIV T4 71
Northeast LIII T4 LII T3 56
North LII T2 65

a. Refer to Table 2 footnotes.

National weighted areas

Population weighting of the Vertisol areas causes a slight change in emphasis of

the respective AEZs (Table 6). In this case the four major AEZs are:

LIV T3 0.57 million ha LIV T4 0.57 million ha

LIII T3 0.30 million ha LIII T4 0.25 million ha

which account for over 68% of the total weighted Vertisol area.

These AEZs represent the areas where most farmers are already attempting to
farm Vertisols. Hence, national research and development programmes should
concentrate initially on the above four AEZs in order to achieve the maximum
immediate benefit from improved Vertisol management and farming practices.

Table 6. Weighted area (expressed in thousand ha) of Vertisols in the

different agroecological zones.

Thermal zone (TZ)b Length of growing period (LGP)a Total

LI LII LIII LIV LV
T1 - 7 8 10 - 25
T2 15 165 62 11 12 265
T3 12 72 303 573 183 1143
T4 - 25 253 567 165 1010
T5 - 13 7 - - 20

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Total 27 282 633 1161 360 2463

a and b. Refer to Table 2 footnotes.

Zonal weighted areas

The distribution of the weighted Vertisol areas in the individual zones (Tables 7 and
8) shows only relatively minor divergence from the AEZs identified on a national
basis.

Only in the north zone is there a need to address AEZs with shorter growing
periods and somewhat lower altitudes.

Table 7. Weighted area (expressed in thousand ha) of Vertisols in the

different - agroecological zones.

AEZb Administrative zone a

CEN NW W S SE E NE N
LI T1
T2 10 1 2 3 1
T3 3 9
T4
T5
LII T1 7
T2 101 5 10 1 48
T3 12 15 18 27
T4 13 12
T5 13
LIII T1 8
T2 51 3 8
T3 69 83 35 22 75 18 1
T4 179 22 2 50
T5 5 2
LIV T1 10
T2 11
T3 226 114 69 68 11 85
T4 235 212 12 108
T5
LV T1
T2 2 10

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T3 30 49 97 6 1
T4 22 3 33 106 1
T5
Total 766 561 167 273 286 198 118 96

a. Refer to Table 1 footnote.

b. Refer to Table 2 footnotes.

Table 8. Distribution of weighted Vertisol areas in the individual

agroecological zones.

Administrative Agroecological Percentage of Vertisol area in

a zones administrative zone
zones
Central LIV T4 LIV T3 60
Northwest LIV T4 LIV T3 58
West LIV T3 LV T3 71
South LV T3 LIV T3 60
Southeast LV T4 LIV T4 75
East LIV T3 LIII T3 81
Northeast LIII T4 LIII T3 58
North LII T2 LII T3 78

a. Refer to Table 1 footnote.

b. Refer to Table 2 footnotes.

Thus a national programme to develop and promote improved surface drainage,

revised land preparation patterns, more productive cropping patterns, better
conservation and erosion control practices and other related soil, water and crop
management procedures should be concentrated in four target AEZs (LIV T3, LIV
T4, LIII T3 and LIII T4), and three administrative zones (central, northwest and
southeast) for maximum immediate impact.

Vertisol-related cropping systems

In order to simplify the types of farming and cropping systems which should be
considered when promoting the development of Vertisols in Ethiopia, the broad
grouping of relevant agroecological zones shown in Table 9 is useful.

The longer growing period/higher altitude grouping includes the AEZs LIV T3/T4
and LIII T3/T4. It includes 50% of the total area of Vertisols and regions of high
population density. Within this grouping, farming systems are based on rainfed
production. The major objective is to improve soil surface drainage in order to avoid
waterlogging and better exploit the longer growing season.

The second largest grouping, short growing period/low altitude, includes the AEZs
LI T1; LI T2, LII T1 and LII T2. This group includes 25% of the Vertisol area, but is

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located in regions of low population density. In general, most of this group is

currently suited to grazing, but with proper surface and subsurface drainage,
irrigated cropping is possible, particularly large-scale industrial or import
substituting crops, since most Vertisols are associated with the flood plains of the
larger rivers.

The third grouping, longer growing periods/low altitude, includes AEZs LIII to LV at
T1 and T2, and represents 18% of the Vertisol area. Rainfed cropping
predominates in this zone and, with proper soil and water management, a broad
range of crops can be grown.

The final group, short growing period/higher altitude, is relatively minor and
represents only 7% of the total Vertisol area. It includes AEZs with LGPs of LI and
LII and thermal zones T3, T4 and T5. These highland valley bottoms are currently
mainly used for grazing, but if surface drainage could be improved in the T3 and T4
areas, these could be readily used for the irrigated production of vegetables and
other horticultural crops.

Table 9. Grouping of the agroecological zones (AEZ) to simplify the

selection of suitable cropping patterns for research and development.

Group Area (ha Agroecological Farming system/crops a

x 1000) condition
I 5939 Longer growing period Rainfed cropping (maize, wheat, barley,
(151>270 days) teff, oats, haricot, linseed, noug, rape.
Higher altitude faba)
(1300>3000 m)
II 2992 Short growing period Grazing and irrigated cropping (cotton,
(<150 days) kenaf, sugar-cane, sesame, rice,
Low altitude (<1300 m) sorghum, maize)
III 2199 Longer growing period Rainfed cropping (maize, sorghum,
(151- >270 days) sesame, cotton, sugar-cane, sunflower)
Low altitude (<1300 m)
IV 806 Short growing period Grazing and irrigated cropping
(<150 days) (vegetables, spices, fruit trees, flowers,
Higher altitude (1300- maize)
>3000 m)

a. Cropping assumes that improved surface drainage and land shaping

can be achieved.

In general terms, if 25% of Groups II and IV could be irrigated and 50% of Groups I
and III could be brought under improved surface drainage, the following potential
food grain production levels could be postulated for Ethiopian Vertisols.

Group I 6 million t (at 2 t ha -1)

Group II 3 million t (at 4 t ha -1)

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Group III 2 million t (at 2 t ha -1)

Group IV 0.8 million t (at 4 t ha -1)

Total 11.8 million t

Hence, the possible benefits from improving the management of Vertisols in

Ethiopia are enormous in a country aiming at food self-sufficiency.

References
AACM (Australian Agricultural Consulting and Management). 1987. A simple
system for defining agroecological zones in Ethiopia. Final report - a national
summary. AACM Advisory Team, Working Paper No. 30. Agricultural Development
Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Amare Getahun. 1978. Zonation of the highlands of tropical Africa: the Ethiopian
highlands, Working Document. ILCA (International Livestock Centre for Africa),
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Cloutier P E. 1984. Assessment of the present situation in agriculture, Working

Paper No. 11. Ethiopian Highlands Reclamation Study, FAO/LUPRD (Food and
Agriculture Organization/Land Use Planning and Rural Development), Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). 1978. Report on the Agro-Ecological

Zones Project, Vol. 1, Methodology and results for Africa. World Soil Resources
Report No. 48. FAO, Rome.

Gryseels G and Anderson F M. 1983. Research on farm and livestock productivity

in the central Ethiopian highlands. Research Report No. 4. ILCA (International
Livestock Centre for Africa), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Hendrickson B L, Ross S. Sultan Tilimo and Wijntje-Bruggeman H Y. 1984. Ethiopia:

geomorphology and soils, Field Document No. 3. Assistance to Land Use Planning,
FAO/LUPRD (Food and Agriculture Organization/Land Use Planning and Rural
Development), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Pinto F W. 1984. PADEP Preparation Report, Annex 3: Gojam and Gondar. IBRD
(International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Nairobi, Kenya.

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