Evaluating water conservation methods for improving soil moisture and tef yield in drought-prone areas

Early cessation of precipitation, low soil moisture, light-textured soil, and inadequate water-holding capacity limit tef (Eragrostis tef) yields in the semiarid regions of Ethiopia. To address these challenges, this investigated the impact of water conservation methods on soil moisture retention and tef productivity. Four soil water conservation methods—ridge and furrow (RF) with tied, broad bed and furrow with tides, mulching, and traditional farmer practices and three tef varieties (Boset, Simada, and Tseday)—at two locations were evaluated. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot design with three replications. The water retention methods were split plots by three tef varieties. Soil water conservation influenced maturity date, biomass yield, plant height, and panicle length. In contrast, the interaction effects of water conservation methods and variety only influenced heading date. The ridged and furrow treatment resulted in a grain yield of 1823 kg ha⁻¹, a biomass yield of 8406 kg ha⁻¹, and soil moisture content of 20.8% at the flag leaf stage, decreasing to 17.2% at the grain filling stage. These findings suggest that RF water conservation method can help farmers to mitigate the impact of drought on tef production.