Abstract
Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia; however, the integrated effects of agro-ecological gradients on its on-farm genetic diversity and disease pressure remain poorly quantified. This study provides empirical evidence by jointly analyzing landrace diversity and bacterial wilt incidence along a pronounced altitudinal gradient in the Gurage Zone. Surveys were conducted across six districts spanning 1617–2986 m a.s.l., representing lowland, mid-altitude, and highland agro-ecologies. A total of 70 locally named landraces were identified. Landrace richness exhibited a strong positive relationship with altitude (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), with highland systems maintaining the highest richness (S = 25–32), Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.88–3.16), and Simpson’s index (1–D = 0.93–0.95). In contrast, lowland areas showed reduced diversity (S = 13–16) and were dominated by stress-tolerant landraces, while mid-altitudes displayed intermediate patterns. Sørensen similarity indices (0.03–0.80) revealed clear agro-ecological structuring of landrace composition, indicating strong environmental filtering and localized farmer selection. Notably, bacterial wilt incidence, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, also increased significantly with altitude (r = 0.73, P < 0.01), demonstrating a concurrent rise in disease pressure along the same gradient. By explicitly linking diversity patterns with disease dynamics across agro-ecological zones, this study advances current understanding of how environmental gradients simultaneously shape crop genetic resources and phytosanitary risks. These findings highlight the importance of agro-ecology-specific strategies for in situ conservation, participatory breeding, and targeted deployment of resilient, farmer-preferred landraces in enset production systems.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Landrace richness rose strongly with altitude (r = 0.84).
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosum
.jpg?width=60)
Ensete ventricosume1 - Treatment
- altitudee2
- Outcome
- Landrace richnesse2
- Direction
- positivee2
- Value
- r = 0.84e2
- Qualifier
- P < 0.001e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e2“Landrace richness exhibited a strong positive relationship with altitude (r = 0.84, P < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Highland systems had the highest landrace richness (S = 25–32).
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Outcome
- richnesse3
- Value
- S = 25–32e3
- Setting
- highland systemse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e3“with highland systems maintaining the highest richness (S = 25–32), Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.88–3.16), and Simpson’s index (1–D = 0.93–0.95)”
Claim · model-written summary
Highland systems had the highest Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.88–3.16).
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Outcome
- Shannon diversitye3
- Value
- H′ = 2.88–3.16e3
- Setting
- highland systemse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e3“with highland systems maintaining the highest richness (S = 25–32), Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.88–3.16), and Simpson’s index (1–D = 0.93–0.95)”
Claim · model-written summary
Highland systems had the highest Simpson index (1–D = 0.93–0.95).
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Outcome
- Simpson’s indexe3
- Value
- 1–D = 0.93–0.95e3
- Setting
- highland systemse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e3“with highland systems maintaining the highest richness (S = 25–32), Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.88–3.16), and Simpson’s index (1–D = 0.93–0.95)”
Claim · model-written summary
Lowland areas showed reduced landrace diversity (S = 13–16).
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Outcome
- diversitye4
- Direction
- reducede4
- Value
- S = 13–16e4
- Setting
- lowland arease4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e4“In contrast, lowland areas showed reduced diversity (S = 13–16) and were dominated by stress-tolerant landraces”
Claim · model-written summary
Lowland areas were dominated by stress-tolerant landraces.
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Material
- stress-tolerant landracese4
- Outcome
- landracese4
- Qualifier
- dominated by stress-tolerant landracese4
- Setting
- lowland arease4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e4“In contrast, lowland areas showed reduced diversity (S = 13–16) and were dominated by stress-tolerant landraces”
Claim · model-written summary
Sørensen similarity among landrace compositions (0.03–0.80) revealed agro-ecological structuring.
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Outcome
- Sørensen similarity indicese5
- Value
- 0.03–0.80e5
- Qualifier
- agro-ecological structuring of landrace compositione5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e5“Sørensen similarity indices (0.03–0.80) revealed clear agro-ecological structuring of landrace composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Bacterial wilt incidence caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum increased significantly with altitude (r = 0.73).
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Treatment
- altitudee6
- Interactor
- Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearumXanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearume6pathogen
- Outcome
- bacterial wilt incidencee6
- Direction
- increasede6
- Value
- r = 0.73e6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e6“bacterial wilt incidence, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, also increased significantly with altitude (r = 0.73, P < 0.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
A total of 70 locally named enset landraces were identified.
- Taxon
- Ensete ventricosumEnsete ventricosume1
- Outcome
- locally named landracese7
- Value
- 70e7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia”
e7“A total of 70 locally named landraces were identified”