The impacts of watershed management practices on crop yield potential in Yezat Watershed, North West, Ethiopia.

Land management practices have been implemented in various regions of Ethiopia since the 1980s to address land degradation, enhance land productivity, and improve the livelihoods of rural communities. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impacts of watershed management on crop yield potential in the Yezat watershed. Crop yield data were collected from 45 fixed plots using quadrant measurements (5 × 5 m) and from 346 households through a questionnaire survey within the watershed area. One-way ANOVA was employed to assess the mean variances of crop yield and yield attributes across different treatment groups. Additionally, a post hoc analysis was conducted to determine statistically significant differences in crop yields among the various treatments. A paired-samples t-test was also applied to compare teff crop yields before and after watershed management interventions. The findings of the study revealed a statistically significant difference in plant height across physical, bio-physical, and control farmlands (P ≤ 0.05). The tallest teff plants were found in areas with bio-physical watershed management interventions, followed by those with physical treatments, while the shortest plants were observed in untreated areas of the watershed. Similarly, the longest spike length (47.4 cm) was recorded in farmlands with bio-physical treatments, followed by those with physical treatments (44.4 cm). In contrast, the shortest spike length (30.3 cm) was observed in untreated farmlands. This difference is likely due to soil erosion, reduced soil moisture, and high bulk density in the untreated areas. Furthermore, the number of productive tillers in a 25-m2 area (from the upper, middle, and lower watershed), aboveground biomass yield, straw yield, and crop yields were significantly influenced by watershed management interventions (both bio-physical and physical types) (P ≤ 0.05). These improvements are likely linked to soil and water conservation (SWC) techniques, which enhance soil moisture availability by increasing infiltration and preventing the loss of vital soil nutrients through erosion. However, the number of tillers did not show a statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) between treated and untreated areas of the study. Overall, the results suggest that watershed management positively impacts crop yield and yield attributes, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving agricultural productivity.