Highland bamboo (Oldeania alpina (K.Schum.) Stapleton) agroforestry: Characterization, management and economic impact in Banja District, Awi Zone, Ethiopia

Agroforestry is vital for sustainable land and tree management, enhancing rural livelihoods while addressing environmental degradation. In northwestern Ethiopia, bamboo is a key component of agroforestry systems, commonly cultivated in homesteads and along farm boundaries. We investigate the factors that influence farmers' bamboo practices, traditional management techniques and the socio-economic significance of bamboo in Banja District, Awi Zone, northwestern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 270 households across three kebeles, categorized by their distance from the main road: within 4 km, 4–8 km, and beyond 8 km. The findings reveal a robust tradition of bamboo cultivation, with households averaging over twenty years of experience. Bamboo is primarily planted in homesteads and along farm boundaries, serving as an essential resource for crafting handicrafts, furniture and tool handles. Despite its significance, most households allocate less than 5% of their land to bamboo cultivation. Management practices include selective thinning, mulching, fencing and manuring, but formal technical support is lacking. Three bamboo landraces were identified: Tikur , Key and Zeger, with Tikur being the most preferred due to its adaptability and economic value, as evidenced by its advantages in growth parameters such as internode length and branch number. Proximity to roads positively correlated with better management practices and increased bamboo-related income. The age distribution of bamboo culms indicated that 42% were 1–3 years old, 34% were over 3 years old and 24% were less than a year old. Despite a rise in bamboo plantations over the past two decades, challenges such as limited extension services and unequal market access persist. Farmers located closer to main roads benefit from improved practices due to better access to information and markets. Our study underscores bamboo's potential for enhancing income and sustainability, highlighting the need for improved resource management, genetic research and strengthened extension services to maximize the benefits of bamboo cultivation for rural communities in Ethiopia.