The study was designed to investigate Highland Bamboo (Yushania alpina) Cultivation Systems and Management Practices in Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews, field observations, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were used to collect the required data. For semi-structured interviews, a total of 240 sample households were selected randomly from the study districts. The collected qualitative data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. The study results showed that, as compared to their long term experience, farmers area coverage of the land allocated for bamboo planting purpose was very minimum. Farmers of the study areas grow seven types of highland bamboo (Yushania alpina) landraces. Bamboo growers of the study areas were naming highland bamboo landraces based on their color, height, roughness and thickness of the culm, internode length, splitting nature and sprouting ability. The present study found that, farmers of the study districts were commonly planting the highland bamboo in homesteads (31.25%), road sides (20.8%), farm lands (18.75%), farm boundaries (16.6%), and river banks (12.5%) of growing niches. The time of bamboo planting is coincided with the start of the rainy season and farmers are usually planting highland bamboo in May each year. The majority (75%) of the bamboo growers of the study districts used culm off-set planting followed by rhizome planting technique (21%), and direct seed sowing (4%). Bamboo growers of the study districts used animal manure, compost, fencing, thinning, branch pruning, slashing and weeding management practices for better growth of bamboo culms and integrated crops. In terms of cutting cycle, (91.7%) of the farmers were used different cutting cycle and only (8.3%) of the households were didn't follow any cutting cycle. Moreover, (90%) of the farmers cut their bamboo culms during winter time and  only (10%) of them were cut bamboo culms year round. Lack of extension and training, over and poor harvesting methods, lack of advanced planting material, expansion of agricultural land, livestock grazing and climate change were identified as the major challenges of highland bamboo production of the study areas. Therefore, attention should be given on sustainable utilization and conservation of highland bamboo resources and farmers should be encouraged by the government and non-government organizations through research and extension services.

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