Participatory evaluation and agronomic validation of Becium grandiflorum propagation techniques for sustainable honeybee forage development in the Wag-Himra Zone, northern Ethiopia

Degraded natural forage limits honeybee productivity and threatens livelihoods in Ethiopia’s dryland. This study evaluated two propagation techniques for Becium grandiflorum seedling-in-pot (SP) and cutting-in-pot (CP) through participatory and agronomic approaches. Farmer research groups in Gazgibla District conducted field observations, focus group discussions, and weighted preference ranking. We measured plant survival, branch number, canopy cover, and flower production from 120 plants. SP outperformed CP across all traits, producing more branches (21.8 vs. 19.4; F ₁, ₅₈ = 23.5, p < 0.001), a wider canopy (92.5 vs. 82.2 cm²; F ₁,₅₈ = 24.1, p < 0.001), higher flower production (2,681 vs. 2,386; F ₁,₅₈ = 23.5, p < 0.001), and better survival (83.2% vs. 71.6%; χ ² = 5.8, p = 0.016). SP required 25% less labor (2.8 vs. 3.7 person-days per plot; F ₁,₅₈ = 15.2, p < 0.001). Branch number strongly correlated with flower production ( r = + 0.89, p < 0.001). SP scored 4.0 versus 2.0 for CP. The seedling-in-pot technique is biologically superior and socially preferred. Scaling SP-established plots may support 0.9–1.3 honeybee colonies per hectare (approximately 12% higher than CP), offering a promising option for improving forage availability in dryland apiculture systems.