Browsing by Author "Jarso, Adanech"

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    Morphological Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of ENSET (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman )Landraces in Kebena, Cheha and Ezha Woredas, Gurage Zone, SPNNRS, Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa Universty, 2017-05) Jarso, Adanech; Demissew, Sebsebe (Professor)
    Morphological Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of ENSET (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.)Cheesman ) landraces in Kebena Cheha and Ezha Woredas, Gurage Zone, Ethiopia Adanech Jarso Mojo, MSc Thesis. Addis Ababa University, May 2017 Ensete ventricosum is a perennial, banana-like crop, indigenous to Ethiopia. It is an important food crop consumed in the form of Bulla, Kocho, and Amicho. Besides, it used as animal feed, as well as source of medicine and fibber. This study was undertaken on the ethnobotanical use of ENSET landraces and to identify variability of the morphological traits among the landraces. The study was carried out in purposively selected ten kebeles of three districts in Gurage Zone. A total of 100 (20 purposively selected key informants and 80 randomly selected general informants) were interviewed using semi-structured interview; field observation and guided field walk were also used to collect ethnobotanical data. Morphological traits were measured according the IBPGR (International Board for Plant Genetic Resources) descriptors for ENSET. The data were analyzed by using computer software R v 3.2.2 and SPSS v 16.0 as well as Excel 2010 spread sheet. Direct matrix ranking and preference ranking were also used to analyze the ethnobotanical information. A total of 33 ENSET landraces were identified from the study area. Farmers give the name for their landraces based on morphological trait and sources of planting material. Identified landraces were grouped in to five clusters based on Morphological trait variability. Mean plant height, pseudostem height and circumference, leaf size and number have significant difference (p<0.05) among clusters. Cluster number five had highest mean in plant height, pseudostem height and circumference and cluster number three had lowest mean. The highest landrace richness was recorded from Wosharbe (3.2) while the lowest was from Girar (2.5). The most abundant landraces were Lemat Nechiwe Yeshirafire and Kanchiwe in Kabena district where as Agade and Yeshiraqinqe were the most abundant in Cheha. Yeshirakinke, Nechiwe, Agade and Kibinar were most dominant landraces in the Ezha district. This study confirms that the Gurage zone is rich in diversity of ENSET but, reduction in production and loss of some landraces was observed because of different factors. Therefore, attention must be given to conservation and maintenances of enset landraces. Key words: Cheha, Ensete ventricosum, Ethnobotany, Ezha, Kebena, Morphological trait