Abstract
Enset (Ensete ventricosum: Musaceae) is a staple crop in mixed subsistence farming systems in the most densely populated regions in southern and southwestern Ethiopia. Mainly grown for its starch-containing leaf sheaths and underground corm, it also serves purposes like animal feed, uses in households, and in agriculture. A large number of landraces are cultivated for manifold purposes, as well as for different requirements of site and climate. To retain the specific characteristics of each landrace, enset is propagated vegetatively by sprouts. In each region differently named landraces are grown. However, changing weather and soil causes phenotypic variability, and make identification difficult. Both increasing as well as decreasing number of landraces have been observed over the years in the different regions due to changing food preferences, climate, pests and diseases, cultivation systems, and infrastructure. Farmers tend to increase the number of cultivated landraces to broaden its use, and to respond to annual climate fluctuations.
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Zippel, K. (2005). Diversity Over Time and Space in Enset Landraces (Ensete Ventricosum) in Ethiopia. In: African Biodiversity. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-24320-8_42
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-24320-8_42
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-24315-3
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-24320-7
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