Growers Indigenous Knowledge And The Contribution Of Neglected And Underutilized Tuber Crops To The Household Food Security In Southwestern Ethiopia

Neglected and underutilized crop species that have huge potential for addressing the food andrnincome needs of the farmers have been found in different parts of Ethiopia. Among the others,rnPlectranthus edulis and anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) are native to Ethiopia and important tuberrncrops widely cultivated for their food, medicinal, and cultural values. Despite the importance ofrnthe two tuber crops in supporting the livelihood of growers, limited research has been conducted.rnHence, this Ph.D. dissertation aimed to bridge the existing knowledge gap related to the two tuberrncrops indigenous production practices together with associated constraints and their contributionrnto household food security in southwestern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey of 434 households,rnFGD, individual case studies, key informant interviews and field observations were used to collectrnthe data. EpiData and STATA computer software were used to manage and analyze the data,rnrespectively. Descriptive statistics, PCA, Multidimensional food security indicator (MFI) and logitrnmodel were used to analyze the data. Out of studied farmers, 45.8% in Chencha and 39.0% inrnJima Arjo district have participated in P.edulis production. All growers produce the crop primarilyrnfor food. Besides food, the crop helps them to get small cash income, and to reduce risk in casernother crops fail. The study documented six local varieties of P.edulis in Chencha and two localrnvarieties in Jima Arjo district. Across the study areas, the growers consider several plant traitsrnto select the best performing local varieties. The harvested tuber maximum storage life is not morernthan two days in both study areas; while in situ or leaving in the ground is the only availablernstorage facility in the study area. P.edulis production trend is decreasing, and the growers arernproducing it less as compared to other crops. Notwithstanding its importance and long periodrnfarmers’ growing experience, the crop is mostly produced on a small plot of land around thernhomestead for home consumption due to low market demand, low price, and lengthy maturity. Therncurrent study identified some 13 P.edulis production constraints; and the top three according tornthe growers’ perception are lack of government attention, lack of improved varieties and lack ofrntuber seed. Some 66.4% of households in Chencha district were food secure and 33.6% were foodrninsecure. The corresponding figures in Jima Arjo district were 82.1% and 17.9%, respectively.rnThe logit regression model showed seven explanatory variables namely location of the study area,rnage of the household head, total crop production, total livestock owned, engagement of householdrnhead in off-farm activities, farmland size and total annual income were determining factors of thernhousehold food security.rnOverall, 39.5% of studied farmers in Gimbi and 82.9% in Ayira district participated in growingrnof anchote. The growers produce the crop primarily for food, to get additional cash income,rncultural and medicinal values. Anchote production trend has been increasing over the past 10rnyears. This study identified two local varieties of anchote (white and red) in both study areas. Thernavailable storage facility in the study area is leaving in the ground and protecting from animalsrnreach. Ten major anchote production constraints were found in both study areas. According to therngrowers’ perception, lack of improved variety and lack of government attention are the top ones. rnviirnSome 75.4% of households in Gimbi and 78.6% in Ayira district were food secure, while 24.6%rnand 21.4% were food insecure, respectively. The logit regression model showed that the age of thernhousehold head, total crop production, growing anchote, dependency ratio, market distance, andrntotal annual income were statistically significant in determining the household food security. Itrnwas learned that growers have a wealth of knowledge about the two tuber crops management,rnprotection from wild animals, local variety selection practices, indigenous storage, and foodrnprocessing practices that could be useful for further tuber crop improvement. Despite theirrnbenefits, however, the crop lacks attention from research and extension systems in the country.rnTherefore, regional and federal research institutes and higher education institutions should givernmore attention to improving and promoting the best performing local varieties of anchote.rnConsidering its untapped potential and significant contribution of anchote to household foodrnsecurity, its production needs due attention in any on-going and future tuber crops developmentrnplan to enhance food security of the farmers that are dependent on it.

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