The quality of coffee produced in Gamo Gofa zone is declining from time to time due to improper harvesting and post-harvest management practices. Consequently, coffee produced under home garden is recognized as forest coffee at national market. Therefore, this study was conducted during 2012-2013 with the objective of assessing factors affecting coffee quality during and after harvest. Totally, 160 household respondents were used from three Woredas for data collection from relevant stakeholders, that is, farmers, middlemen (agents and traders) coffee processors and extension workers. Secondary data on coffee grades was also collected from the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) coffee inspection laboratory located at Wolaita Soddo. Finally, quantitative data was analyzed by employing SPSS (version 20). The results indicated that most of respondents (79.4%) harvest their coffee at majority red ripe stage. Concerning harvesting method, 51.3% of respondents practice selective hand picking, while the rest 48.1% harvest by striping on the ground and collect together with previously dropped cherries. However, appropriate harvesting materials which were reported to have no contact with other chemicals were used by 95% of respondents. From post-harvest handling point of view, coffee drying places (69.4%), lack of appropriate drying (53.8%) and method of harvesting (48.1%) were the top three factors which are significantly affecting coffee quality in Gamo Gofa zone among others. However, 95% of respondents used appropriate harvesting materials, that is, local containers which were reported to have no contact with other chemicals. The results of ECX coffee grading showed that majority of coffee received grade seven, eight and nine out of nine scale commercial grades. Even through, inherent quality of coffee being grown in Gamo Gofa zone is good with bold beans. Thus, improvement on the way people harvest and handle their coffee to maintain inherent coffee quality in Gamo Gofa zone is recommended.
Abstract. Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a productive, drought-tolerant and multipurpose food security crop grown in the densely populated Ethiopian highlands. It is a so-called orphan crop, and its production suffers from a lack of information on proper soil fertility management and its interaction with bacterial wilt disease caused by the pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum. The aim of this study was therefore to assess soil–plant nutrient variation within enset home gardens at three altitudes (ranging from 2000 to 3000 m above sea level – a.s.l.) in the Gamo highlands and investigate whether this variation affects disease prevalence. Altitude in the rift valley covaries with soil leaching, and plant available P, Ca and Mg in soils significantly raised with decreasing altitude. Soil carbon and most nutrients reached very high levels in the gardens, whereas the more distant outfields were severely nutrient deprived. Differences in management intensity within the garden caused soil pH, conductivity, total organic carbon, total N and available P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Fe levels to significantly decline with distance from the house; yet, this decrease in soil nutrients was not mirrored in a response of foliar nutrient content, except for N. Hence, over-fertilization is likely, and establishing evidence-based nutrient recommendations for enset would benefit soil quality and productivity both in the gardens and in the outfields. Disease prevalence was high in the study area, with one-third of the farms affected in the recent past. Although more experimental work is needed to exclude confounding factors, our data indicate that the effects of altitude, P fertilization, micronutrients and K-Ca-Mg balance are promising avenues for further investigation into Xanthomonas wilt disease susceptibility.
), while Jonica, Royal Gala, and BR was below the range. In evaluate of rootstock and scion interaction distinguished rootstock type and scion cultivar have influence on leaf total N concentration.
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