CONTRIBUTION OF HOMEGARDEN AGROFORESTRY TO HOUSEHOLD INCOME GENERATION, WOODY PLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY AND IT'S TREAT TO ESTABLISH AND MANAGE IN LAY ARMACHIHO DISTRICT, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

<strong>ABSTRACT</strong>: Homegarden agroforestry is a complex, multifunctional and sustainable land use system that integrates multiple farming components to provide economic, social and environmental services. The primary purpose of homegarden is to provide supplemental food and cash income. It can also use for habitat for diverse plant species and conserve natural forest by reducing the pressure on local natural forests. This study was conducted in Lay Armachiho district Northern Ethiopia to assess the role of homegarden for rural household’s income generation and plant species diversity. Cross-sectional survey design was employed to conduct this research. Wereda and kebeles were selected purposely due to the presence of extensively practicing homegarden agroforestry. Whereas sample households were selected by using stratified random sampling method to limit heterogeneous nature of practicing homegarden agroforestry. For the assessment of plant species diversity each homegarden was divided in to a number of 10 x10m plots then a plot was randomly selected. Supplemental food, income, fuel wood, fodder, traditional medicine, construction materials, soil fertility and conserving natural forest were various benefits derived from homegarden by local communities in the study area. The contribution of homegarden was higher in terms of supplemental food provisioning and income generation followed by fuel wood provisioning that 100% of the respondents used. There was also highly significance difference among homegarden adopters and non-adopters of annul income generation that they generate 24276.85±20059.60 and 11379.96±5873.46ETB respectively. The sale of products produced in homegarden from various components (food crops, cash crops, fuel wood, fruits, animals, vegetables, tree products, spices, poultry and honey) improve financial status of the families. From these components cash crops and fruits were the main source of income followed by poultry in the study area. In terms of woody plant species diversity, the homegarden in the study area had diversified and evenly distributed woody plant species. It was composed from 52 woody plant species belonging to 30 families. Fourteen threats were identified in the study area to establish and manage homegarden agroforestry. Among these threats, shortage of water, incidence of pest and disease, limited agricultural extension service and land scarcity were serious challenges for the farmers to establish and manage homegarden agroforestry. Finally it is concluded that, practicing homegarden agroforestry had a great value for income generation and woody plant species diversity in the study area. Therefore homegarden agroforestry should be adopted by all farmers in the study area.