Soil is the dust of life. It is the basic foundation of agriculture, the prime industry in Ethiopia, and the spear point for sustained development. Therefore, there is a conjugal bond between people and soils. Not in the near future will we shift to food production in ponds to be securely comfortable. Hence, since we cannot live without soil, we could live better if we knew more about the the soils endowment in the country given the ample opportunities that exist to address the issue. Otherwise, in the absence of reliable information, generalizations that border on myth can develop on soils where diversity of sharp contrast is the rule than the exception in Ethiopia. The marked heterogeneity is reflected by soils that range from immature to old in terms of soil development. The immature Inceptisols, Entisols have poor nutrient and water holding capacity. The young Aridisols in the semi-arid areas are rich in basic elements but pose problems related to salts. Here parent material is the dominant factor and the role of the biosphere is small. There are also the shrink-swell clay soils, Vertisols, in the highlands, the arid and semiarid regions. They have severe physical constraints including poor traffic ability and poor drainage during the rainy season. Alfisosls, the most predominant soil in Ethiopia are widespread in the highlands, arid and semiarid regions. They have poor soil structure, are highly prone to accelerated erosion, and easily crusted and compacted. On the other hand the organic matter rich and fertile Mollisols are developed under grassland vegetation. Under high rainfall are the old Oxisols and Ultisols are poor in many essential elements but rich in iron and aluminium that could be toxic. Both are highly susceptible to erosion and nutritional constraints (Mesfin, 1998). Therefore, among the three types of environment that higher plants encounter – bodies of water, air, and soil – the soil as an open system is by far the most heterogeneous and complex.
