Vol. 10(1), pp. 41-53, March 2022
https://doi.org/10.14662/arjasr2022005
Copyright 2022
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
ISSN: 2360-7874
http://www.academicresearchjournals.org/ARJASR/Index.htm
 

Research paper

Ethnobotanical Study of Wild Edible Fruit Tree and Shrub Species in Adola Rede and Odo Shakiso Midland Districts of Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

 

Aschalew Emire*, Sintayo Demise and Temesgen Giri

 

Bore Agricultural Research Center, P.O.Box: 21, Bore, Ethiopia Corresponding author email:aschu1511@gmail.com

 

Accepted 28 February 2022

Abstract

Wild edible fruit tree and shrub species refer to species that are neither cultivated nor domesticated, but are available from their wild natural habitat and used as sources of food. The study was conducted to identify and document wild edible fruit tree and shrub species and to record indigenous knowledge and skill of rural communities regarding the management and utilization of wild edible fruit tree/shrub species in Adola Rede and Odo Shakiso Midland Districts of Guji Zone, in Southern Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data was collected using key informant interview, semi-structured interviews and guided field observations. A total of 60 respondents were selected from the two study Districts by means of simple random sampling methods. A total of 36 wild edible fruit tree and shrub species were identified and documented. Out of them 72.2% of the species were tree species and the remaining 27.8% were shrub species. These species were distributed in 26 different families. Moraceae family contained the highest number of species with 4 species, Anacardiacea and Rutaceae families have 3 species followed by Flacourtiaceae, Rubiaceae and Astracea families represented by 2 species each. The other remaining 20 families were represented by one species each. Carissa spinarum, Syzygium guineense, Flacourtia indica, Rosa abbysinica, Cordia africana, Rytigynia neglecta and Ficus sur were found to be the most preferred wild edible fruit tree and shrub species of the study area respectively. Wild edible fruit tree and shrub species of the study Districts were mainly harvested year round, in dry and wet seasons and the most frequent gatherers were children and youngsters. The identified Wild edible fruit tree/shrub species of the study Districts often developed naturally in the wild and local communities of the area were used in situ management practice. Some of the Wild edible fruit tree and shrub species of the study area such as Syzygium guineense, Flacourtia indica, Physalis peruviana, Haplocoelum foliolosum and Myrica salicifolia were sold in the local markets of the study Districts to support household incomes. The present study found that Wild edible fruit tree/shrub species in the study area were threatened by anthropogenic factors including agricultural expansions, cutting for construction, un controlled fire setting, cutting for fuel wood and timber production. The output of a direct matrix ranking exercise showed that, Flacourtia indica, Cordia africana, Syzygium guineense, Ficus thonningii, Carissa spinarum and Rytigynia neglecta were the most threated Wild edible fruit tree/shrub species. Therefore, along with sustainable utilization and conservation of the existing wild edible fruit tree/ shrub species of the study area, priority should be given on urgent collection, domestication, propagation and cultivation of the most threatened wild edible fruit tree and shrub species of the study Districts.

 

Key words: Edible, Fruit tree/shrub species, Marketability, Preference, Threated and Wild

 

How to cite this article (APA Style): Aschalew, E., Sintayo, D., Temesgen, G. (2022). Ethnobotanical Study of Wild Edible Fruit Tree and Shrub Species in Adola Rede and Odo Shakiso Midland Districts of Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 10(1): 41-53