Table 3. Mean soil physical properties variability among the different cropping and land-use systems at 0-20 cm depth in the Dura sub-catchment, northern Ethiopia.
| Physical soil property | Cropping and land-use system (CLUS) | Mean | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM | MM | IC1 | IC2 | R1 | R2 | TG | UTG | NF | ||
| Clay (%) | 26.3f | 32.0e | 43.7d | 48.7c | 54.0b | 73.7a | 49.7c | 36.7e | 33.7e | 44.2 |
| Silt (%) | 33.4d | 39.0b | 36.7c | 30.0e | 33.7d | 22.7f | 34.7cd | 25.3f | 43.3a | 33.3 |
| Sand (%) | 40.3a | 29.0b | 19.7d | 21.3d | 12.3e | 3.7f | 15.7e | 38.0a | 23.0c | 22.6 |
| DBD (Mg m-3) | 1.59b | 1.39e | 1.47d | 1.49cd | 1.51c | 1.50c | 1.30f | 1.77a | 1.19h | 1.36 |
| TP (%) | 40.1g | 47.5c | 44.5ef | 43.4f | 46.2d | 45.3de | 50.3b | 33.2h | 55.1a | 45.1 |
| SSSI (%) | 1.85f | 3.93c | 2.68d | 2.67d | 2.218e | 1.99e | 7.17b | 1.15g | 12.1a | 3.89 |
| A-h (m) | 0.104d | 0.138c | 0.110d | 0.102d | 0.105d | 0.106d | 0.187b | 0.017e | 0.195a | 0.120 |
Means followed by different letters in the same row are significantly different at probability level (P) = 0·05.
DBD, dry bulk density; TP, total porosity; SSSI, soil structural stability index; A-h, A-horizon depth; TM, Tef(Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trot)) mono-cropping system; MM, Maize (Zea mays L.) mono-cropping system; IC1; Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) with maize intercropping; IC2, Red beet (Beta Vulgaris) with maize intercropping; R1, Cauliflower - tef - maize rotation; R2, Onion (Allium cepa L.) - maize - onion rotation; TG, Treated gully; UTG, Untreated gully; NF, Natural forest.