Maize is a key crop in Ethiopia's Rift Valley, but drought and erratic rainfall have reduced yields. This study aimed to identify effective soil and water conservation practices to improve soil moisture, nutrient content, and maize yield. The experiment was conducted in 2021 and 2022 cropping season in Negele Arsi district and the experiment used RCBD with five treatments, applying the Melkasa-II maize variety as testing crop due to it is familiar to the area. Results showed a 6.7% to 24.6% increase in soil moisture content at 60 cm depth, along with improvements in soil properties. The highest grain yield was achieved with a combination of 5 t ha-1 (straw mulch plus farmyard manure) and NPS fertilizer, yielding two to three times higher than control treatments. This result implies that retaining crop straw mulch and application of farmyard manure in the field within profitable cost can be used as soil moisture conservation tools for sustainable improvement of maize production in the study area.

Keywords: Farmyard manure, Growth stages, Soil depth, Straw mulch