Domestication of Indigenous Fruit and Fodder Trees/ Shrubs in Dryland Agroforestry and Its Implication on Food Security

Abstract

Foods from wild or farmland trees/shrubs in drylands constitute an important component of food supply in the form of fruits, seeds and other edible parts which are essential for food security. Indigenous trees/shrubs are good source of fodder as grasses dry out quickly due to short rainy season. The domestication of important indigenous trees/shrubs (fruits and fodder species) and their integration in agroforestry practices have been one of the most important forms of biodiversity conservation. The selection, retention or deliberate planting and management of trees by farmers can be considered as the beginning of the domestication process of the species. The study was carried out in Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia to assess the domestication process of indigenous fruit and fodder trees/shrubs and to analyze their potential in contribution to food security. Line transect method was employed and systematically laid plots along transects were used to make an inventory of trees in cropland, pasture and backyards. The diversity and population of fruit and fodder species in forests were assessed for comparison with data collected from the agricultural landscapes. The species diversity (richness and evenness) was estimated using different biodiversity indices. The results showed that forest sites have highest fruit and fodder tree/shrub species diversity as compared to other land uses which suggest that domestication process of fruit and fodder trees has been slow with focus on only few trees. A focused questionnaire survey revealed that Opuntia ficus-indica, Ziziphus spina-christi, Mimusops kummel and Prunus persica are the species intentionally retained/planted for their fruit while Faidherbia albida, Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus spina-christi and Becium grandiflorum are maintained for their fodder.