NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED ROOT AND TUBER CROPS, THEIR PROVISIONING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, AND TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, IN MERAB BADAWACHO WOREDA, HADIYA ZONE, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Root and tuber crops are high-yield potential crops mainly grown for multiple purposes in the home gardens in Ethiopia. Despite these benefits, they are mostly neglected and underutilized as well as are given little attention by both policy-makers and researchers. This study evaluated the neglected and underutilized root and tuber crops (NURTCs), their provisioning ecosystem services, and traditional management practices in Hadiya zone, Central Ethiopia. The study site was selected using a purposive sampling technique. Relevant data were gathered using questionnaire household survey, semi-structured interviews, field observations, and key informant interviews. The study engaged a total of 320 sample households from the selected sites. The most widely used NURTCs in terms of food; income and traditional medicine were Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman), Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott)), Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam), Ethiopian potato (Plectranthus edulis (Vatke) Agnew) and Yams (Dioscorea spp.). These crops delivered multiple provisioning ecosystem services, including source of food, income, livestock feed and traditional medicine. The crops were used as main food and food supplements by the majority of households, contributing a major share to the traditional food system. About 83.4%, 56.5% and 33.4% of the households used the crops for income generation, traditional medicine and animal feed, respectively. The major traditional management practices were mixed cropping, crop rotation, fallowing land, storing of planting materials, and pest management. Households practiced manual methods to control weed, pest and disease. They used different indigenous soil fertility management mechanisms, with 98.4% of them using animal manure to increase soil fertility, productivity and ecosystem services. Despite those benefits and rich management systems, the production of the crops were declining as witnessed by about 85% of the households, indicate their vulnerability to genetic erosion. An increase in population size, shrinking in home-garden size, and new weeds, pests and disease were the main contributor for their decline. Overall, the NURTCs provide multiple ecosystem services such as food, income, livestock fodder, and medicine and are mainly managed by traditional knowledge and skill. As they are the vital part of livelihood systems, there should be a support from all key stakeholders regarding addressing the bottlenecks constraining the production, productivity and gene conservation of the NURTCs that are effective in giving greater yield per unit farm, and providing multiple provisioning ecosystem services.