2023/07/22 by Takele Negewo, Taye Tessema, Tamado Tana +1
paper · doi:10.20372/pmjoe.2020.v23.n1.a3
Faba bean (Vicia fabaL.)has a significant potential for nutrientsource, income generation and soil fertility management in smallholder farming systemsof northern highlands ofEthiopia. However, its cultivation is strongly hampered by the occurrence of the obligate root holo-parasite,crenate broomrape (Orobanche crenataForskal). To gather baseline data for developing a sustainable crenate broomrape management, 33faba bean growers' households in South Gondar,and South Wollo Zones of the Amhara Regional State and Southern Tigrayof the TigrayRegional State of Ethiopia were surveyed during the 2018 cropping seasonusing a structured questionnaire. Most of the respondents (61%) believed that crenate broomrape was introduced in the 1990swith grain meant for food aid. All respondents believed that the weed is highly problematic and difficult to control. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents practice cultural control to minimize its infestation but all perceived that the current management practices were ineffective. The rest of the respondents (33%) did not practice any control measure and preferred abandoning faba bean cultivation in their field. Thus, this survey work indicated that the spread and dense infestation of crenate broomrape is causing considerable impacts on faba bean production. A coordinated management strategy with intensive public awareness creation program that can restrict its infestation and associated socio-economic impacts on farming systems in northern highlands of the country is required.