Indigenous knowledge and its relevance for sustainable beekeeping development: a case study in the Highlands of Southeast Ethiopia

摘要

ThestudywasconductedinthehighlandsofSoutheastEthiopiatoassesstheindigenousbeekeepingknowledgeandpracticesaswellastodocumentforfurtherresearchanddevelopmentinthesector.Fourdistrictswereselectedandatotalof120beekeeperhouseholdswereinterviewedusingapre-testedsemi-structuredquestionnaire.Informationwascollectedonhouseholdcharacteristics,indigenousknowledgeandpracticesonbeekeepingandhoneybeeproductionsystems.nbsp;Beekeepingsystemsintheareaistotallytraditional.Majority(82.5%)ofthebeekeepershavelittleknowledgeonbiologyofbees.Colour,hairlength,bodysizeandbehaviourwerethemaincriteriaconsideredbythebeekeeperstoclassifyhoneybees.About65%ofthebeekeepersfedhoneybeeswithflourofroastedgrainsandsolutionofeithersugarorhoneyduringdearthperiods.Honeybeesarealsosupplementedwithwaterduringdryseason.Pestsandpredatorsofhoneybeesareprotectedtotallybyimplementingtraditionalmeans.Almostall(99.2%)ofthebeekeepersreportedthathoneybadgerwasthemostdamagingpredatorofhoneybeesinthearea.Severaltraditionalpracticeswereimplementedtoovercomethedamagecausedbythishoneybadgeraswellasotherpestandpredators.nbsp;Eventhoughsomepracticesneedfurtherstudy,indigenousknowledgeplaysasignificantroleforthedevelopmentofbeesandmaintenanceofbeekeepingactivitiesinthehighlandsofsoutheastEthiopiawherebythecontributionofthemoderntechnologytothesectorisalmostnil.