Soils may be acidic or basic in reaction, that
is, have pH respectively less than or greater than pH 7, which
is neutral. Since the pH scale is logarithmic, a one-unit
increase or decrease in pH corresponds to a 10-fold increase
or decrease in the concentration (or activity) of H-ions in
soil solution. The most productive soils have pH in the range
of 5.5 to 7.5.
The strongly acid soils are found in ecologies which receive
or have historically received high incidence of rainfall and
have warm temperatures much of the year. They are often found
in Oxisols, Nitosols, and Ferralsols. Thus, the most strongly
acidic soils are found in western and south western parts
of Ethiopia, the central highlands, the high rainfall areas
of north western part of the country. Nevertheless, moderately
acidic soils (pH 5.5-6.5) are distributed through much of
the rest of the country.
Components of soil acidity
Soil acidity does not just consist of H ions in soil solution
but is associated with many components of the soil.It is determined
by soil composition, ion exchange properties and hydrolysis
reactions. Soil components include both inorganic constituents
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One
Step ahead in Spices Research
Tepi National Spices Research Center, which
was operating under the Jima Agricultural Research
Center as sub-center for the last 36 years, has now
been officially launched as one of the research centers
of EIAR.
The Tepi National Spices Research Center, located
611 kilometers from Addis Ababa in the town of Tepi
in the SNNPR State, came to existence in 1973 in an
attempt to extend the coverage of agricultural researches
to coffee, spices and other tuber and root crops growing
in lowland areas of hot and humid climatic conditions,
and which were believed to be of high economic significance
to the country.
The activities of the research include adopting and
developing spices technologies, conducting lowland
researches, conserving spice germplasms, multiplying
and distributing improved spices and lowland coffee
technologies to comparable agro-ecological zones of
Ethiopia, as well as providing training and advisory
services on the sub-sector.
During the official inaugural ceremony held at the
center on the 5th of December 2009, Ato Digafe Tilahun,
Director of the Center stated in his welcome remark
that as part of its agriculture-led industrial development
policy, the government of Ethiopia is carrying out
a multitude of activities aimed at increasing the
number of farmers utilizing and benefiting from modern
agricultural technologies and, READ
MORE
Agricultural
Exhibition on NNP Day
Dire Dawa was selected to prepare this year’s Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples’ (NNP) Day and exhibition, symposium
and bazaar were part of the festivities.
During the occasion EIAR demonstrated a great agricultural exhibition
for seven days. The Debre Zeit, Holetta, Jima, Melkassa and
Werer Research Centers and the Somalia Pastoral and Agro-pastoral
Research Institute (SoRPARI) participated and promoted different
improved technologies. The NNP Day was jointly organized by
the five neighboring regional administrations, i.e. Afar, Somali,
Oromiya, Harari and the Dire Dawa City Administrations.
Ato Adem Farah, Mayor of the Dire Dawa City Admin¬istration
officially opened the exhibition on December 3, 2009. Ato Adem
said the city has been making various prep¬arations to celebrate
the Day. According to him, the admin¬istration has been
sensitizing the public to actively parti¬cipate in the celebrations
and promote the image of the city, READ
MORE
The Federal Agriculture and
Rural Development Linkage Council Meeting
The Federal Agricultural and Rural Development
Linkage Council held a one-day meeting at the Ethiopian Institute
of Agricultural Research (EIAR) HQs .READ
MORE
CD
Library of patent Documents on Sheller, Thresher and Cultivator
Technlogies
The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office has released a CD
with Patent Documents on sheller, thresher and cultivator technologies
that it has selected based on their relevance in supporting
the rural development strategy and agricultural development
of the country. For further information or to obtain a copy
of the CD, please contact the EIAR Main Library.
