Contribution of Homegarden Agroforestry to Household Income Generation and Woody Plant Species Diversity in Lay Armachiho District, Northern Ethiopia

Homegarden agroforestry (HGAF) is a complex, multifunctional, and sustainable land use system that integrates various farming components to provide economic, social, and environmental services. This study aims to assess the role of HGAF in household income generation and woody plant species diversity in the Lay Armacho district of Northern Ethiopia. Multistage sampling techniques were employed for household sampling, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches for data collection. Quantitative data were gathered from a sample of 315 farmers through structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Qualitative data were collected via focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs). The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). For assessing plant species diversity, each homegarden was divided into one or more 10 x 10 m plots based on size, and a plot was randomly selected for analysis. The results indicate a highly significant difference in annual income generation between HGAF adopters and non-adopters, with adopters generating an average of 24,276.85 ± 20,059.60 Ethiopian Birr, compared to 11,379.96 ± 5,873.46 Birr for non-adopters. In terms of woody plant species diversity, HGAF in the study area exhibited a diversified and evenly distributed array of species, comprising a total of 52 woody plant species belonging to 30 families. Thus, practicing homegarden agroforestry holds significant value for both income generation and woody plant species diversity in the study area. To fully realize these benefits, it is recommended that all farmers in the region adopt homegarden agroforestry practices.