Homestead Gardens Research Articles

Status and drivers of households’ food security status in climate-sensitive coastal areas of Bangladesh: A comparison between the exposed and interior coasts

ABSTRACT Farming in coastal areas has unique challenges as climate change threatens coastal people’s livelihoods and food security. Therefore, household food security remains a major concern, especially in Bangladesh’s climate-sensitive coastal districts. This study compared the food security status and identified the factors influencing households’ food security in the exposed and interior coasts of Bangladesh. A total of 750 households (exposed coast: 375 and interior coast: 375) were surveyed from six coastal areas. The Food Consumption Score (FCS), descriptive statistics, and a set of econometric models were used to achieve the objectives. Around 20% of households in the exposed coast were in the borderline category of FCS. The FCS of the interior coast households was significantly higher than the exposed coast households. The analysis results revealed that a 1 USD increase in the price of rice per kg would decrease the likelihood of being in the food secure category by more than 40%. Households who engaged in homestead gardening had a 4.30% and 9.15% higher likelihood of being in the food secure category in the interior and exposed coasts, respectively. Access to credit increased the likelihood of being in the food secure category by 7.15% in the exposed coast area. Economic status-related factors, such as higher farm and non-farm incomes, also increased the likelihood of being food secure in both coastal areas. To improve the household-level food security in coastal areas, location-specific sustainable farming practices, non-farm employment opportunities, rice price stabilization, agricultural training, and capital availability are warranted.

Effect of Seed Pretreatment Methods on Germination and Early Seedling Growth of Senna spectabilis

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of pretreatment methods on germination of Senna spectabilis seed and determine the effect of pretreatment methods on height and root collar diameter growth of Senna spectabilis seedlings. The experimental treatments involved were control; seeds soaked in cold water for 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h; seeds soaked in hot water and allowed to cool for 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h; and nicked seeds using secateurs. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. The data variables assessed were seedling height, root collar diameter, and survival rate. Data were subjected to one-way ANOVA using Minitab software. Results showed that there were significant differences p ≤ 0. 05 among treatment means on germination, seedling height, and root collar diameter, while the survival rate was not statistically significant p ≥ 0.05 . Nicked seeds and those soaked in hot water and allowed to cool for 12 h had an outstanding performance in terms of germination and seedling growth. It is, therefore, recommended that farmers should be encouraged to use nicked and hot water soaked for 12 h seed in order to achieve high germination and growth efficiencies in their homestead gardens.

Relevance of Assamese Folk Song, Bihu Geet in Practicing Natural Farming in the Traditional Baree (Homestead Garden) System of Assam, India

Aim: The study was undertaken to understand the relevance of Assamese folk songs, or Bihu geet, in the management of the traditional Assamese baree system in view of natural farming.
 Study Design: The data obtained from group discussion and personal interview method have been tabulated as described by [1].
 Place and duration of Study: The study was conducted in a total of 24 villages from six districts viz. Nalbari, Baksa, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, and Sivsagar during the period January 2021 to January 2022
 Methodology: From the three agro-climatic zones of Assam, two districts were selected and from each district, four villages were selected. From each village, 10 farmers above 60years of age were selected randomly thus making a sample size of 240 respondents. Data was collected by using a focus group discussion method and a personal interview method using a semi-structured interview schedule.
 Results: A total of 36 Bihu geet reflecting natural farming practices in the traditional baree system and its role in the management of the baree have been documented.
 Conclusion: From this study, it can be concluded that Bihu Geet forms an indispensable part of the Assamese Baree system and its scientific validation should be studied further as these are based on practical observation over a long period of time and can form a basis for natural farming.

NEW SWEET CHERRY BELITSA VARIETY

The article provides a description of a new variety of sweet cherry called “Belitsa”. The Belitsa variety has no domestic and foreign analogues in the assortment released in terms of ripening period in conditions found in Belarus (a very early ripening – the second decade of June). It has high productive potential (26.0 t/ha), winter hardiness of wood and generative sphere, resistance to coccomycosis and monilial burn, medium-sized fruits (average weight 5.6 g), high taste qualities (tasting score – 4.8 points) and market values (marketability – 90 %). The variety is self-infertile. The best pollinator is the Syubarovskaya sweet cherry variety. On the seed rootstock of wild cherry trees of the Belitsa variety come into fruition in the 4th year after planting in the garden and rapidly increase the yield. It is recommended for use in commercial and homestead gardening. A unique genetic passport has been compiled using 10 SSR markers for the new sweet cherry Belitsa variety.

Understanding the effects of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women's group meetings on maternal and child nutrition in rural Odisha, India: A mixed-methods process evaluation.

A trial of three nutrition‐sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women's group meetings in rural Odisha, India, found improvements in maternal and child dietary diversity, limited effects on agricultural production, and no effects on women and children's nutritional status. Our process evaluation explored fidelity, reach, and mechanisms behind interventions' effects. We also examined how context affected implementation, mechanisms, and outcomes. We used data from intervention monitoring systems, review notes, trial surveys, 32 case studies with families (n = 91 family members), and 20 group discussions with women's group members and intervention workers (n = 181 and 32, respectively). We found that interventions were implemented with high fidelity. Groups reached around half of the mothers of children under 2 years. Videos and meetings increased women's knowledge, motivation and confidence to suggest or make changes to their diets and agricultural production. Families responded in diverse ways. Many adopted or improved rainfed homestead garden cultivation for consumption, which could explain gains in maternal and child dietary diversity seen in the impact evaluation. Cultivation for income was less common. This was often due to small landholdings, poor access to irrigation and decision‐making dominated by men. Interventions helped change norms about heavy work during pregnancy, but young women with little family support still did considerable work. Women's ability to shape cultivation, income and workload decisions was strongly influenced by support from male relatives. Future nutrition‐sensitive agriculture interventions could include additional flexibility to address families’ land, water, labour and time constraints, as well as actively engage with spouses and in‐laws.

Life History of Talicada nyseus (Guerin) (Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae) on Bryophyllum pinnatum from Western Uttar Pradesh, India

Talicada nyseus, a small, stunning butterfly, is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The life history and seasonal occurrence of T. nyseus were studied on the succulent host plant Bryophyllum pinnatum grown in the homestead garden in district Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. It passes through five larval stadia.

Abandoned Croplands: Drivers and Secondary Succession Trajectories under Livestock Grazing in Communal Areas of South Africa

Cropland abandonment has been happening in different parts of the world and is being driven by socio-economic, ecological, edaphic, and environmental factors. Most of the research focusing on drivers of cropland abandonment, succession trajectories, and responses to active restoration initiatives has been conducted in the republic of Nepal and regions such as Europe and America. In South Africa, the impact of cropland abandonment on household livelihoods, changes in vegetation and soil properties, and soil seed bank statuses have been conducted mainly in the Eastern Cape Province. The drivers of cropland abandonment in South Africa are like those observed in other countries, except for a few, which are country-specific such as poor support of communal farmers compared to their counterparts in the highly mechanised commercial farming sector. There is also a shift from low input cropping in the distant fields to high input cultivation in homestead gardens. Research results elsewhere suggest a woody growth suppressive effect of grazing, particularly average grazing intensities, being crucial in suppressing woody proliferation while high grazing intensities are detrimental to herbaceous species’ richness and promote woody species’ encroachment. A combination of fire and grazing alters the natural succession trajectory by promoting fire-tolerant species and arresting woody species. Similar to other countries, cropland abandonment is associated with colonisation by alien invasive species which are favoured by cropping legacies, such as altered soil levels of pH, Nitrogen, and phosphorus. Furthermore, limited moisture in semi-arid areas promotes the encroachment of indigenous woody species. Secondary succession in abandoned croplands can be manipulated for the benefit of livestock production in communal areas by introducing management strategies that will discourage encroachment by both invasive and indigenous woody species which lowers the grazing capacity. Furthermore, active restorative practices, such as reseeding with indigenous mid succession perennial grasses and legumes, will improve forage quality in abandoned croplands. Our understanding of succession trajectories under various unique disturbance regimes experienced in South Africa, such as communal grazing of abandoned croplands, compared to situations in other parts of the world is limited. Furthermore, the influence of other factors such as fire, soil fertility, and moisture needs to be understood.

Diversity of Spider Mites (Tetranychidae) on Ornamental Plants in Central Kerala

Purposive sampling surveys were conducted in homestead gardens and ornamental nurseries at different localities of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts during 2017-19 to study the diversity of spider mites associated with ornamental plants. Mite samples collected from rose, adenium, gerbera, marigold, chrysanthemum, balsam, cock’s comb, orchid, cassia, cairo morning glory, zinnia, bauhinia, crape jasmine and pinto peanut were maintained as isoline cultures in the laboratory. Male and female specimens from isolines were slide mounted for morphological characterisation and identification. The results revealed eight species belonging to three genera viz., Tetranychus truncatus Ehara, T. okinawanus Ehara, T. urticae Koch, T. fijiensis Hirst, T. neocaledonicus Andre, T. marianae McGregor, Eutetranychus orientalis Klein and Oligonychus biharensis Hirst. The study recorded new hosts for the alien species, T. okinawanus and T. truncatus which suggests the potential of these species to turn invasive in Kerala’s ecosystems. The spider mite fauna on rose was more diverse, indicating the need for imposing strict quarantine regulations. The study observed T. marianae as a new record from Kerala.

Colocasia (Colocasia esculenta L.) in Northeast India

Northeast India is rich in genetic diversity of horticultural crops and colocasia is one of the important crops. This region is rich in colocasia diversity for both cultivated and wild species particularly in jhum fields, homestead gardens, near water bodies, river banks, forests and road sides. Wide range of variability is observed in vegetative characters, corm and cormel characters, yield and quality characters.  It is cultivated in jhum field as a mixed crop along with paddy and other crops like ginger, chilli, maize, turmeric etc. and in homestead garden, it is cultivated along with maize, cucurbits, chilli, King chilli, etc. The nutrient rich and gluten free tuber crop is an integral part of traditional cuisines of ethnic people of this region. All the plant parts of this ariod member are edible. Several traditional dishes have been prepared from leaves, petioles and tubers. The leaves, petioles and damaged tubers are also fed to pig and poultry. Recent past, the genetic diversity of colocasia is under threat due to urbanization, climate change, introduction of new crops, and pest and diseases and resulted in genetic erosion. The conservation of these vast gene pool is necessary.

Vulnerability assessment based on household views from the Dammar Char in Southeastern Bangladesh

Assessing vulnerability is vital for developing new strategies and improving the existing ones to fulfill contemporary demands toward achieving a disaster-resilient society. Dammar Char is situated in the southeastern (SE) coastal region of Bangladesh that has experienced frequent coastal hazards and disasters throughout the year. The present study has constructed a vulnerability index utilizing the quantitative and qualitative data based on household surveys to evaluate the vulnerability of the people and community of Dammar Char. Data were collected from 180 respondents during November–December 2018. The results demonstrate that, on average, the people living in the studied area have a high vulnerability (value of the vulnerability index 0.7015) to coastal hazards and disasters. The vulnerability level differs from individual to individual based on their gender, educational status, financial capacity, structural strength of houses, perception of the respective hazards and disasters, etc. Females have experienced more vulnerability than their adult male counterparts. The natural vulnerability was higher than socioeconomic and physical vulnerability due to the increase in unpredictable extreme climate-induced coastal events. To combat the adverse impacts of coastal hazards and disasters, the local Dammar Char inhabitants have adopted several adaptation measures. The adapted measures are homestead gardening, working in seasonal day labor, fish drying, rearing sheep, and ducks, constructing plinths for elevating the floor of the house, extensive banana cultivation, and storage of dry foods to reduce their vulnerability.

Biology of the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) on Curry Leaf, Murraya koenigii

Biology of the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) was evaluated on curry leaf Murraya koenigii. The study revealed that D. citri is an important pest of ‘curry leaf’ in homestead gardens, farmer’s fields and forest areas in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The hatching percentage of the eggs was 80.25±3.47%, while the viability of the nymphal instars was 65.2±2.49%. The total nymphal period was 13.40±1.23 days. Adults emerged after 4-5 (4.4±0.50) days from fifth instar nymphs that took 35-40 minutes to emerge. The males lived for 24.94±0.65 days, with a total developmental period of 37.058±2.20 days, whereas the females survived for 39.81±0.53 days, having a total developmental period of 42.94±3.21 days. Pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition periods lasted for 2.75 ± 0.71, 22.6 ±5.18 and 3.35±1.03 days, respectively. Female fecundity was recorded to be 550-800 (692.90 ± 99.34) eggs per female.

Self-reliant in year-round vegetable production through kitchen garden in Indo-Gangetic Plains

The government of India has long been striving to increase the food and nutritional security of rural and urban households. In this regard, kitchen/homestead gardens of limited available space can play an important role in fullfilling the demand for year-round diversified vegetable requirements. Considering the scope to self-reliant in year-round vegetable production and consumption through kitchen garden model, a field experiment was conducted for consecutive two years (2018–19) at the homestead garden of ICAR - IIFSR Modipuram Meerut. A total of 28 vegetables were selected for year-round vegetable cultivation and were planted in 15 beds varied from 2 to 8 m2. The year-round vegetable patterns under each bed were grown into 3 to 4 cropping seasons. The fifteen cropping patterns were arranged in 62 m2 net areas. The total year-round production of vegetables was 568.7 kg from 62 m2 net areas. Among the different groups of vegetables, 196 kg of root, bulb and tubers vegetables; 160.1 kg leafy and flower vegetables; 184.6 kg of fruit/vegetables and 25.8 kg of leguminous vegetables were obtained from 62 m2 net areas. In our finding, nearly 163 kg vegetable shortage to fullfills the demand of 5 members household. The shortage quantity of vegetables 163 kg can be obtained from increasing 18 m2 net areas in addition to exiting 62 m2. Notably, this model which fullfill the household demands of year-round vegetable requirements in a sustainable way as well as improve the food and nutritional security.

Evaluation of apple varieties with summer ripening in intensive-type orchards

The study results of the main economic and biological indicators of summer ripening apple varieties on low-growing rootstocks in intensive plantings were generalized. It was found that the use of low-growing intercalars has the same weakening effect on the apple tree growth as when using it as a rootstock. In terms of the total yield, 10-year-old trees of the Orlinka and Yablochny Spas varieties did not show significant differences in the options for using low-growing forms in as an intercalary or root stock. Modeling the damaging factors of the winter period revealed good resistance to early winter frosts, to a decrease in the freezing temperature in the middle of winter to -40 °C and to frosts after thaws at the end of winter. On the medium-sized rootstock 3-3-72, Rannee Aloe variety showed high early ripening and productivity significantly higher than Papirovka. The highest yields of the studied varieties on the rootstock 3-3-72 were given at the age of 10 to 20 years and are characterized as mildly periodically fruiting. According to the complex of economic and biological indicators, the varieties of summer ripening period for intensive plantings, farm and homestead gardens were identified.

The Relationship Between Feeding Patch Quality and Fodder Species of Wild Elephants in the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

We examined the relationship between the presence or absence of elephants in patches of land and the most common ecological factors, such as fodder species, water bodies, resting places, elephant movement trails, and soil types, across ten transect sites in the Teknaf Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS), Bangladesh. By ground-truthing 360 line transects and 1080 quadrate blocks, we recorded a total of 184 fodder species, including 71 monocotyledons, 58 dicotyledons, and 55 domesticated plant species. Three categories of domesticated fodder species were recorded that consisted of 13 cultivated crops, 24 vegetables, and 18 homestead garden plants. We also applied dung-pile dissection techniques to a total of 250 dung piles between August 2018 and July 2019. Highly statistically significant differences among the abundances of different fodder species and presence of elephants were found across different transect sites. The average fodder species density was found to be 3.44 plant species per site per km2, while the elephant density was 0.63 individuals per site per km2. A significant strong correlation was found between fodder species density and the number of elephants among the transect sites (P = 0.02). The numbers of ground-recorded fodder species were higher than those found in dung piles. The presence of elephants across transect sites was influenced not only by fodder species but also by other ecological factors, such as water bodies, resting places, movement trails, and soil types.

The study of the practice of growing food at home in the UAE: role in household food security & wellbeing and implication for the development of urban agriculture

Home-grown food products are getting more and more prominence around the world owing to many factors including the increasing demand for fresh food materials, consumers’ awareness of food-health nexus, and the increasing public awareness of environmental impacts of food production at home and resource-saving, and others. The main objective of this study is to assess the nature of the homestead food production system in the UAE and determine its significance for household food security and identify the factors that affect households’ engagement in food production at home. Primary data was collected through reconnaissance in communities, online survey, and face-to-face interviews. The findings show that 88% of a sample of households (N = 196) interviewed produce various food products in homestead gardens. Home-grown food products are fruits, vegetables, spices, eggs, and small ruminants. The use of modern production methods like hydroponics and aquaponics is still uncommon. The sample households produce on average 21 kg of fruits and vegetables, 26 kg of mutton per month, and 30 pieces of eggs per week. The home-grown food products are mainly used for home consumption; some part is given to relatives and friends. Reasons for producing food at home include the need for self-sufficiency, reduce food purchase expenses, environmental awareness, the food being healthy, and as a hobby. The majority of the sample households would see continue producing in the future. Many factors influence the household's decision to grow food products in their homestead. Among these, availability of space, environmental awareness, availability of farmworkers, the need to reduce food purchase bills, and knowledge of home-grown food safety requirements. Analysis of the logistic model reveals that households who have not enough garden space are less likely to practice while those who consider reduction of food purchase expense, have environmental awareness, are able to hire workers for garden activities, and have knowledge of home garden food production tend to have a high likelihood of practicing homestead production. This study concludes that homestead food production is important for the urban households in the UAE and has a potential to be a basis for the development of urban agriculture. It needs more public awareness raising about its importance, technical support in demonstration of best practices and use of modern technologies (like a mini hydroponics and aquaponics), the food safety requirements of homestead based for products.

Livelihood vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies to climate change: a case study in Tanguar haor, Sylhet

Abstract Bangladesh is very prone to climate-driven hazards due to its unique geographical location, high population density, and low climate resilience. Therefore, this study addresses the livelihood vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies in response to the climate change issues based on empirical evidence from wetland communities using the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) in Tanguar haor, located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The finding shows that people of the study area are switching their formal livelihood activities into alternative sources. Crop diversification, homestead gardening, erosion proofing, and cage aquaculture are commonly used by the studied communities to adapt to climate change impacts. The main driver of vulnerabilities was found to be lack of education, underdeveloped infrastructures, lack of advanced health facilities, and lack of alternative livelihoods during extreme events. Therefore, people living in and around the haor region need special consideration. Overall, the study suggests that policy or institutional arrangements are required to promote the better governance system for local communities to improve their living standard so that they can achieve resilience to the impacts of climate variability and change in this area.

Salinity and food security in southwest coastal Bangladesh: impacts on household food production and strategies for adaptation

The rising salinity of land and water is an important, but understudied, climate change-sensitive trend that can exert devastating impacts on food security. This mixed methods investigation combines salinity testing with qualitative research methods to explore these impacts in one of the most salinity-affected regions in the world—the Ganges River Delta. Data collection in 2015 and 2016 undertaken in Bangladesh’s southwest coastal region and Dhaka consisted of 83 in-depth household and stakeholder interviews, six community focus groups, and salinity testing of 27 soil and 45 surface and groundwater samples. Results show that household food production is a multifaceted cornerstone of rural livelihood in the southwest coastal region, and virtually every component of it—from rice plantation and homestead gardening to livestock cultivation and aquaculture—is being negatively affected by salinity. Although households have attempted multiple strategies for adapting food production, effective adaptation remains elusive. At the community level, improved irrigation and floodplain management, as well as restrictions on saltwater aquaculture to abate salinity, are viewed as promising interventions. However, the potential of such measures remains unrealized on a broad scale, as they require a level of external resources and regulation not yet provided by the NGO and government sectors. This study elucidates issues of accessibility, equity, and governance surrounding agricultural interventions for climate change-related salinity adaptation, and its findings can help inform the community of organizations that will increasingly need to grapple with salinity in order to guarantee food security in the context of environmental change.

Trees outside forest (TOFs) aids in mitigating global climatic change through carbon sequestration: Example from academic institutional landscapes

TOF including urban and other plantations like road side, homestead gardens, residential areas or in various institutional or academic landscapes make positive contribution to living conditions of different towns and cities. The present work reports the amount of biomass and its contribution to carbon stock of different woody perrennials in the campus of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India. The study was carried out by enumerating the entire study area for volume estimation and further calculation was done through validated methodologies. A total of 1816 numbers of individuals with dbh ≥ 10 cm of 95 woody perennials species belonging to 79 genera and 38 families were enlisted. Out of 95 species, the contribution was dominated by 52 forestry tree species followed by road side plantation (21) and fruit crops (14). A total of 812.211 Mg ha−1 of biomass was recorded from the woody tree species with 79.40% contribution from above ground biomass (AGB) and 20.60% (BGB) below ground biomass. In the AGB forestry tree species showed dominance in terms of contribution (322.95 Mg ha−1) followed by plantation crops (169.695 Mg ha−1), road side plantation (107.069 Mg ha−1) and least by fruit crops (45.190 Mg ha−1). The overall carbon stock found was 403.176 Mg Cha−1 with highest contribution from forestry tree species (200.53 Mg Cha−1) followed by plantation crops (106.720 Mg C ha−1) and least by fruit crops (28.470 Mg Cha−1). The study recommends plantaion of more and more woody species across the academic landscapes especially with threatened category flora for conservation and carbon sequestration for mitigating global climate change. TOFs will have to play an important role for sustaining future generations due to shrinking of other forest landuse systems.

Damage potential and control of the common mormon butterfly, Papilio polytes Cramer on citrus

Studies were conducted to know the damage potential and effect of insecticides on leaf area feeding and larval mortality of the common Mormon butterfly, Papilio polytes Cramer in the homestead garden and germplasm center of the Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) campus and in the laboratory, Department of Entomology, PSTU, Patuakhali, Bangladesh during October to December 2016. Ten Citrus host plants such as Kagoji lime-BAU-1, BAU-2, BAU-3, BAU-4, BARI kagoji, elachi lime, sweet orange, orange, jamir and pumelo were used as study materials. To determine the effects of insecticides on leaf area feeding and larval mortality, five treatments viz., T1 = Voliam flexi 300SC @ 0.5 ml/l of water, T2 = Voliam flexi 300SC @ 1.0 ml/l of water T3 = Bioneem Plus @ 0.5 ml/l of water, T4 = Bioneem Plus @ 1.0 ml/l of water T5 = control were applied. Under natural field conditions, the highest percentage of leaf infestation was recorded in orange, followed by BAU-3, BAU-4, malta and elachi lime, while the lowest percentage was in BARI kagoji on 23 and 30 November, 2016. At the top canopy, the highest percentage of leaf infestation was recorded in orange and elachi (56%), while the lowest was in BAU-4 (8%). At the middle canopy, the highest percentage of leaf infestation was recorded in orange (56%), while the lowest was in jambura (12%). At the lower canopy, the highest percentage of leaf infestation was recorded in BAU-3 (40%), while the lowest was in elachi (8%). At the top canopy, significantly the highest percentage of infested leaves per branch was observed in orange (51.39%) and the lowest percentage of infested leaves per branch was in BAU-4 kagoji lime (10.86%). At middle and lower canopies, no significant difference was observed in the percentage of infested leaves per branch among different citrus varieties. The lowest percentage (6%) of leaf area consumed by 4th instar larva was recorded in T2 (Voliam flexi 300SC @ 1.0 ml/l of water) treated leaf, while the highest percentage of leaf area consumption was found in T5 (control) at 3 HAT. The highest percent mortality (100%) of larvae was found in T2 treated citrus plant, while the lowest percent mortality was in the T3 (70%) treated plant. No mortality was recorded in the untreated control (T5) plant.
 J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 47(1): 35-46, June 2021

Effect of land-use practices on species diversity and selected soil property in Somodo Watershed South-Western Ethiopia.

This study was conducted in Somodo Watershed to investigate the land-use practices and its effect on species diversity and selected soil properties. Field observation was carried out to identify existing land-use practices following a transect line. A total of 20 plots (10 × 10) m2 were sampled from plots exhibiting different land-use practices found in the watershed in order to evaluate species richness and diversity. Soil samples were also collected from each plot. The soil samples were analyzed following standard laboratory procedures. The result of the analysis showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in species diversity and richness among different land-use practices. Coffea arabica was dominant in homestead gardens and natural forests while Grevillea robusta showed had maximum richness in plantations and farm forests in the Watershed. Furthermore, home garden agroforestry practice was significantly (p<0.05) affected soil pH compared to other land-use systems (cultivated land, natural forest, and plantation forest. While Organic carbon (OC), Total nitrogen (TN), and Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C: N) did not show significance difference among land-use systems in the watershed. The study has concluded that different land-use practices had a positive impact on sustaining species diversity, richness, and improve soil properties. Therefore, the study suggests that improving and expanding home garden agroforestry practices in the area are indispensable for environmental protection and soil fertility enhancement.