Effects of agroforestry tree species on microclimate and enset (Ensete ventricosum) morphophysiology in South Ethiopia

Enset (Ensete ventricosum), a multipurpose crop domesticated solely in Ethiopia, serves as a staple food for more than 20 million smallholder farmers. In some traditional enset-based systems, it is cultivated under trees, but enset’s response to canopy cover remains unclear. This study examined how scattered trees in enset farms affect the microclimate and morphophysiology of enset in South Ethiopia. Trees significantly modified microclimate conditions in enset homegardens. The average daily reductions in air, soil surface, and soil temperatures ranged from −0.5 to −1.9°C, −0.4 to −2.1°C, and +0.4 to −1.0°C, respectively. Minimum soil moisture offset ranged from +0.8% to +5.7%. Although tree species had a negligible influence, planting position relative to the overstory trees significantly affected enset responses. A general trend was observed: most morphophysiological traits were higher under tree canopies, decreased at the canopy edge, and were lowest outside the canopy. In contrast, leaf dry matter content exhibited an inverse trend, consistent with the leaf economics spectrum. Our findings demonstrate enset’s capacity to adapt to canopy shade, suggesting an opportunity for enset-based homegarden agroforestry expansion. Further research is needed to evaluate cultivar-specific shade tolerance and identify optimal shade levels to sustain enset productivity.