A review of enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] diversity and its use in Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction – Enset is an indigenous crop in southern and southwestern Ethiopia, with a huge potential to provide year-round food production. Starch stored in the corm and pseudostem of the plant is the main source of energy provided by this crop. Enset was fully domesticated in Ethiopia between 10,000 and 5,000 years ago and initially farmed in a system of shifting cultivation. This long history of enset cultivation has contributed to the high withinspecies diversity. Materials and methods – This paper provides an overview of past research activities and knowledge linked to enset diversity and identifies critical research gaps, which should be addressed to improve the long-term conservation and use of this diversity. Results and discussion – Studies have identified numerous landraces across the vast ensetgrowing belt in Ethiopia, with genetic diversity in a particular area related to the extent of enset cultivation by different ethnic groups and the range of agro-ecologies to which the crop is adapted. Farmers’ rich knowledge of enset, accumulated over many years, plays a significant role in the characterization and maintenance of the existing genetic diversity of this crop. Farmers differentiate landraces using morphological traits, such as plant height and pseudostem size, angle of leaf orientation, and pseudostem and leaf colour. Conclusion – Enset diversity provides resilience and food security despite challenging environmental conditions, diseases or changes in land use systems.