Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices and Farmer Perceptions of Soil Erosion: Implications for Sustainable Agriculture in Soro District, Central Ethiopia

Soil erosion remains a critical environmental and agricultural challenge in Ethiopia, particularly in highland areas such as the Soro District of Central Ethiopia, where land degradation directly threatens agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods. This study was undertaken to better understand the key factors influencing smallholder farmers' adoption of soil and water conservation practices, along with their perceptions of soil erosion and its impacts. The study employed a mixed methods approach, combining household surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations to gather both quantitative and qualitative data from a representative sample of smallholder farmers. Descriptive analysis, principal component analysis, and probit regression models were used to analyze the collected data. Probit regression analysis revealed that factors such as sex, education, size of farmland, interactions with extension services, participation in conservation training, and household income all played a significant and positive role in encouraging the adoption of soil and water management practices. In contrast, soil fertility was found to have a negative effect on the uptake of soil and water conservation techniques. Farmers perceived damaged conservation structures, soil loss, and farmland fragmentation as key consequences of severe soil erosion. While most farmers recognize soil erosion as a major threat to their land, adoption rates of sustainable practices remain uneven due to economic, institutional, and knowledge-based constraints. The study underscores the importance of integrating local perceptions into policy frameworks and promoting participatory approaches to enhance the uptake of conservation practices. These insights contribute to the design of more effective and context-specific land management strategies aimed at ensuring long-term environmental sustainability and agricultural resilience in the region.