Obando, Joy ApiyoMakokha, G. L.Juvenary, P. Madyanga2015-01-162015-01-162015-01http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/11921Department of Geography, 108p. 2014It is increasingly difficult to ignore the role of soil water management practices in watershed conservations. Watershed degradation has been a major intimidating problem in many catchments of developing countries, Tanzania inclusive. The general objective of this study was to analyze the limiting factors in soil water management practices of small holder farmers in Magamba sub-catchment of Lushoto District, Tanzania. Primary data was covered by use of structured questionnaire (for 100 small-holder farmers), researcher observation, and interview guide and in-situ soil moisture measurements (for 60 farm plots) based on different types of soil water management practices. Secondary data sources used constituted both unpublished and published data sources on limiting factors of small- holder farmers in soil water management practices and their effects on soil moisture. Qualitative technique for data analysis involved description of different types of soil water management practices. Quantitative data was analyzed using analysis of variance and regression statistical analysis. StataSE version 11.0 and Microsoft excel 2007 computer programs were used for analysis. Predominant types of soil water management practices identified included physical measures (fanya juu and bench terraces), agronomic measures (mulch, guatemala grasses and agro-forestry farming) and chemical measures (organic and chemical fertilizers). The study also found capital problems, low training and low technical assistance, market problems, lack of education, slope, physical distance and nature of crops as major limiting factors in soil water management practices in the study area. For soil moisture measurements, there were great variations across the three sections (lower, middle and upper) and on different types of soil water management practices in the sub-catchment. The p value= 0.0024<0.05; proved against null hypothesis and hence concludes that; there is significant difference of soil moisture contents and types of soil water management practices in the Magamba sub-catchment. Comparatively, high records of soil moisture were found in the lower section than the rest of the sections. The middle section gave low moisture contents compared to the upper section. This is because of limited vegetation cover compared to the upper section where large area is dominated by forest trees. The study recommends introduction of saving credit cooperative organizations to reduce problems of capital, encourage adult education for non educated farmers, promote universal agricultural training programs instead of top based training approach, introducing agricultural credit schemes, strengthen of the local markets, empowering female farmers, monitoring of soil water management practices and promoting groups and training centres for farmers and enhancement of soil moisture through planting of guatemala grasses in farming in the study areaenThesis