ORIGINAL PAPER Yield and mineral content of ten enset (Ensete ventricosum) varieties Ajebu Nurfeta & Adugna Tolera & Lars O. Eik & Frik Sundstøl Accepted: 11 October 2007 / Published online: 31 October 2007 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2007 Abstract A study was conducted to evaluate the macro and trace mineral contents of ten enset varieties collected from Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia. Samples of leaf lamina, leaf midrib, pseudostem and corm were taken from ten enset varieties at the age of 5 to 6 years during the main rainy season. The dry weight of each variety and fraction were also determined. Mineral contents in fractions of different enset varieties were analysed and compared with nutrient requirements of ruminants. The contribution of different enset fractions to the total dry weight was variable (P<0.05), the highest being from pseudostem and the lowest from leaf lamina. There were varietal differences (P<0.05) in macro and trace mineral content in different fractions except phosphorus (P) content of leaf lamina. Most enset fractions were rich sources of major minerals such as P, potassium (K), calcium (Ca) (except corm) and magnesium (Mg). Sodium (Na) content was very low. Most fractions were rich in iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), but deficient in copper (Cu), except leaf lamina. Zinc (Zn) content was high in corm, but low in other fractions. This account of the macro and trace mineral content of different enset varieties and fractions could help in strategic supplementation intended to alleviate mineral deficiencies. Keywords ensete ventricosum . enset varieties . enset fractions . mineral content . Ethiopia Abbreviations ANOVA Analysis of variance DM Dry matter NRC National Research council Introduction Among the root crops, enset is one of the most important staple crops in Ethiopia. It is a perennial plant and has leaves, a large underground corm and pseudostem. It grows mainly at higher altitudes ranging from 1500 to 3100 m (Tsegaye and Struik 2003; Birmeta et al. 2004). Desta and Oba (2004) showed that about 85% of the farmers in the Bale highlands of Ethiopia provide enset leaves, corm, Trop Anim Health Prod (2008) 40:299–309 DOI 10.1007/s11250-007-9095-0 DO09095; No of Pages A. Nurfeta (*) : L. O. Eik Department of Animal and Aquaculture Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O.Box, 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway e-mail: ajebu_nurfeta@yahoo.com A. Tolera Department of Animal and Range Science, Awassa College of Agriculture, University of Hawassa, P.O.Box 222, Awassa, Ethiopia F. Sundstøl Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O.Box 5003, 1432 Aas, Norway