It is part and parcel of the western Ethiopian mixed crop-livestock systems where Nitosols (FAO/UNESCO) and Alfisols (USDA) form the dominant soil group (Berhanu, 1997). These highly weathered tropical soils are characterized by deep layers and high contents of weathered mineral predominantly kaolinite. The area has diverse vegetation species ranging from little dense and old natural forest domains in pocket areas at tips of both up and down stream sides, to widespread patch of sparse shrub-grass mixtures. Subsistent and mixed crop-ivestock agriculture characterizes the farming system. Thecommunity depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture forms the dominant consumer of land in which
crop production receive the lions share while livestockfarming is an integral component. In terms of its potential, it belongs to the few agro ecological regions of the countrycorresponding to high agricultural potential based on its
climate, soil and production systems (MoA, 1998).