Effect of Drought/irrigation on Proximate Composition and Carbohydrate Content of Two Enset [ensete Ventricosum (welw.) Cheesman] Clones

Enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] is an important root crop serving as a carbohydrate rich food source in Ethiopia. Perennial crops, like enset, are often exposed to recurrent dry periods which could greatly affect their growth, physiology and yield. The effect of induced drought/irrigation on the proximate composition and carbohydrate content of harvestable plant parts (pseudostem and corm) of two field grown enset clones (Ameratye and Yesherakinkye) was investigated. Proximate analysis showed that extended drought significantly (P ≤0.05) reduced crude protein, ash content, potassium and phosphorus contents of enset pseudostem and corm of the two clones. On the other hand, crude fibber content and calcium levels were significantly higher in droughted groups than irrigated ones. There were no significant treatment effects on crude fat content and /or magnesium levels. Moreover, drought resulted in a significant increase in the level of soluble sugars and a decline in starch content of plant parts in both clones. Droughted plants accumulated 2–4 fold more soluble sugars than irrigated groups while the latter group gained 14–23% more starch. There was no significant difference between the two clones for the parameters considered. Low nutrient content of droughted plants could be the result of reduced nutrient uptake and assimilation caused by low soil water content and limited energy source (carbon skeleton). The observed increase in soluble sugars could be an indication of osmotic adjustment mechanisms in droughted enset plants. On the other hand, the decline in starch content could be due to reduced carbon assimilation and/or starch degradation. Key words/phrases: Carbohydrates, clones, drought, enset, proximate composition ∗ Current address: Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, PO Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia. E-mail: [email protected] INTRODUCTION Enset [Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman] is a perennial, herbaceous monocot in the family Musaceae. It resembles the banana plant and is often referred to as ‘false banana’. The plant is domesticated only in Ethiopia and is grown in the south and south-western parts of the country serving as a staple/co-staple food for an estimated 10–12 million people (Taye Bezuneh, 1984). Enset cultivation involves artificial induction of suckers by vegetative propagation, transplanting plants to new plots every 1 or 2 years, with occasional manuring, weeding and leaf pruning. Enset reaches maturity within 6–12 years depending on clone type and altitude. The crop traditionally grows in the middle and high altitudes that receive an annual rainfall of 1100–1500mm. Hundreds of clones are grown by farmers in the enset farming system. Enset is grown mainly for its starchy food extracted from the pseudostem and the underground corm. A variety of local human foods are processed from a combination of the enset pseudostem and the underground corm. For example, boula, a starchy precipitate from the pseudostem-corm mixture, is often used in the making of porridge or mixed with wheat flour in the preparation of local gruel called ‘atmit’. The fibrous, fermented product is often used to make a pancake like bread, kocho. The corm can also be eaten after being boiled (‘amicho’) in a manner similar to other tuber or root crops. In recent years, enset farming has expanded to moisture stressed, low altitude areas perhaps owing to land shortage and/or owing to its acclaimed role in providing food security in the face of recurrent droughts and the accompanying crop failure. Enset plants grown in lower and parts of the middle altitude are experiencing differing Solomon Zewdie et al. 82 degrees and length of dry periods every year. The effect of drought would be detrimental particularly for young plants at early transplanting stage. Some authors (Bayush Tsegaye, 1991; Shigeta, 1990) have noted that enset tolerates short season droughts and that some clones perform relatively better under drought than others. Recently, we reported the effect of extended drought on the growth, physiology, and yield of field grown young enset plants of two enset clones (Solomon Zewdie et al., 2007). We showed that drought significantly reduced biomass production and partitioning to plant parts. Apart from the reduction in assimilate production; moisture stress could also alter biochemical composition and nutrient contents of plant parts. These effects of water stress have important implications in terms of plant adaptive responses to drought, nutritional quality and also plant productivity in the face of drought. Information on biochemical composition and nutrient status of enset plants is scanty. The available information in this regard is limited to analysis of protein contents of different enset clones (Besrat Alemayehu, 1979), effect of fermentation length on protein levels (Taye Bezuneh, 1984) and enset starch characterization (Tsige Gebremariam and Schimdt, 1996). To date, there is no information on the effect of environmental stresses, like drought, on the carbohydrate content and/or nutrient status of enset clones. In this report, we provide information on the effect of drought/irrigation on proximate composition and carbohydrate content of harvestable plant parts of field grown plants of two enset clones. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant establishment and growth conditions Plant establishment and growth conditions are described in detail in Solomon Zewdie et al. (2007). Equal sized suckers of two enset clones Ameratye and Yesherakinkye were transplanted on a preprepared plot (384m2) with a spacing of 1.5 m x 1.5 m for about 1 year. Suckers were watered twice a week during the dry period while dried manure (1 kg/plant) was applied every 2 months and plants were allowed to grow. One year after transplanting, plants were watered adequately to keep the soil moisture at field capacity and watering was interrupted a day before drought induction/irrigation. A stationary rain-out plastic shelter was constructed bordering the edges of the plot and covering the sides and the top with transparent plastic shutters. Following a randomized block design, plants from each clone were then systematically divided between droughted groups and irrigated groups compartments separated with a corridor (3m). There were four treatment groups (2 clones x 2 watering regimes) labelled as AmDR (droughted Ameratye), YkDR (droughted Yesherakinkye), AmIR (irrigated Ameratye), and YkIR (irrigated Yesherakinkye). Upon drought induction, plants in the irrigated treatment received 20 litre water every 3rd day keeping the soil water content at field capacity throughout the experiment (90 days). Plants in the droughted treatment received no water. Sample collection and processing At the end of the drought period (90 days of drought/irrigation), three sample plants were harvested from each treatment group. These plants were uprooted and belowground biomass was excavated. Pseudostem discs were extracted from three points along the height of the pseudostem and dried outer sheaths were peeled off while the inner sheaths were mixed to form a composite sample. Corm samples were also taken from three different points along the circumference of the corm and were mixed. Samples were then minced into pieces and air dried immediately for 24–48 hr. Air dried samples were then ground with mortar and pestle and kept in plastic tubes.