Tillage & Water Conservation in Maize, Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia

The trenches can be built as a continuous line across an entire slope, over shorter distances, or for individual plants to collect run-off and conserve moisture for trees or tree crops. Pits are holes of 20-30 cm diameter and 20-25 cm depth, spaced about 1 m apart in each direction. The excavated earth is formed into a small ridge downslope of the pit.