抄録
A total of 95 households from five mountainous villages in Hong Ha Commune, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam were surveyed to investigate the function and significance of home garden practices in their livelihood. The results showed that the average home garden size was about 1000m2 with 30% of the households having fish ponds. Using this land resource, households were enjoyed in various cultivation activities. The main source of income from home gardens was derived from products from annual and perennial crops, which were primarily used for daily consumption and occasionally for cash income. The dominant seasonal crops, such as taro, Sauropus androgynus L., papaya, Piper lolot, lemongrass and sweet potato, were grown and harvested all year round while other crops were harvested in the rainy season. Perennial crops were normally harvested during the dry season whenfew annual crops were harvested. In addition, perennial crops also function well as wind breaks, provide shade for the garden, supply organic matter to the soil and act as host trees for plant vines to cling to. The contribution of home gardens to income was more significant for poor households. Thus, home gardens not only ensured food security for families but also contributed cash income to improve the livelihood of households in this area.
