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Maize is one of the high priority crops to feed the ever increasing population in Africa, however, its production limited by shortage of high yielding variety coupled with biotic and abiotic stresses. The study was initiated to evaluate the heterotic performances of the F 1 hybrids over the standard checks (Kolba and Jibat). Fifty entries consists 48 F 1 single crosses developed from 24 inbred lines and 2 testers using line x tester design and two commercial check hybrids used in the study. The experiment was conducted using alpha lattice design with two replications at Ambo and Holeta Agricultural Research Center. Analysis of variance revealed existence of significant genetic variation among genotypes for all studied traits except for plant aspect. Location x entry interaction for most of the traits was not significant which suggests hybrid performance was consistent across tested locations. The magnitude of standard heterosis over Kolba and Jibat for grain yield ranged from-40.31 (L13 x T1) to 32.44% (L23 x T1). Cross L23 x T1 exhibited maximum standard heterosis (32.44%) over Kolba and Jibat for grain yield followed by L11 x T1 (22.18%). Positive and significant genotypic, phenotypic correlation coefficient were recorded for yield with plant height (rg=48** and rp=40**), ear height, ear per plant, number of kernels per row, ears length, ear diameter and number of kernel rows per ear. Number of ears per plan (1.08) had the highest positive direct effect on grain yield followed by ear diameter (0.95), number of kernels per row and number of kernel rows per ear indicating the effectiveness of direct selection. Finally, crosses with high standard heterosis for yield and yield components could be used for developing high yielding maize hybrids in the future maize breeding program.

Haricot bean, often known as Boleqe in Ethiopia. It is a major legume crop produced widely all over the world.Depending on the variety, it may adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions, from sea level to almost 3000 meters above sea level. It thrives commonly in warm climates with temperatures ranging from 18 to 24°C. Despite its importance for nutrition and export, haricot bean production in Ethiopia is limited to small regions and small-scale growers, with little or no fertilizer or soil amendments being employed. The responses of the haricot bean varieties to each limitation varied, although they are mostly determined by the environmental conditions. The main bottle neck of haricot bean production is the lack of improved high producing cultivars that suit to each agroecology. The current experiment was carried out on six released haricot bean varieties with half diallel without reciprocal crosses on the field to make F1 hybrids in all possible combinations and with the objective of evaluation of agronomic traits of haricot bean varieties and performing their half diallel cross by using complete block design. An analysis of variance revealed a highly significant difference in yield contributing components among these released varieties at 5% probability level for most of the traits. This suggests that the released haricot bean varieties have a high genetic variation.

Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding CASRP΄s archiving and manuscript policies encouraged to visit: http://www.casrp.co.uk/journals AbstractThe impact and cost of synthetic fertilizers as well as their associated risks on the environmental safety was becoming unaffordable. To alleviate these problems, integrating this synthetic fertilizers with easily available and an environment friendly compound like bio-char is of very high significance towards meeting our goal of increasing agricultural production and ensuring food security. The present field experiment was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of biochar rate application on the selected properties of soils and yield and yield components of Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratuc L.) during 2013/2015 in W/Genet. Biochar produced from coffee husk and biogas was applied at rates of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 tone ha -1 for both coffee husk and biogas which was giving a total of nine treatments, where arranged in Randomized Complete Blocked Design with three replications. The over years result showed that the application of biochar have an increasing effects on soil properties like PH, OC, total N, available P, CEC and exchangeable cations and significant (p<0.05) increase in fresh biomass and number of leaf per hill. The highest fresh biomass, number of leaf per hill and moisture content was obtained by the application of 15ton/hectare biochar rate from coffee husk followed by the application of 15ton/hectare biochar rate from sugar factory and the highest essential oil yield was obtained by the application of 15ton/hectare biochar rate from sugar factory followed by the application of 15ton/hectare biochar rate from coffee husk. The best treatment recommended would be 15 tone ha -1 biochar from coffee husk and followed by 15 tone ha -1 biochar from biogas in order to achieve optimum Lemmon Grass production in W/Genet soil. Therefore, application biochar is very imperative to increase soil fertility, enhance nutrient uptake, ameliorate polluted soils and reduce the amount of carbon produced due to biomass burning.

Maize is one of the most important cereals broadly adapted worldwide. Though, a number of improved maize varieties have been released, each micro-environment has not been touched that is why the study carried out. The experiment was conducted using seven maize varieties in RCB design with three replications. The analysis of variance signifies the presence of significant difference (p<0.05) among the seven maize varieties evaluated. High value of genetic (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for grain yield (25.1 and 37.8%) were estimated and this infers less influence of environment. Additionally, moderately high heritability (44.2%) and high genetic advance in percent mean (34.4%) were estimated for grain yield which indicate the trait governed by additive gene action and could be improved via selection based on phenotypic performance. However, traits (male and female flower) with high heritability and moderate genetic advance in percent mean inherited mostly by non-additive gene action and heterosis breeding could be useful. Regarding agronomic performance, Hora maize variety provided highest grain yield (5.0 t/ha) followed by Kuleni (4.1 t/ha), Melkasa 2 (4.0 t/ha) and check (4.0 t/ha). Hora, Melkasa 2, Melkasa 4 and check flowered earlier as compared to the other and could be used as parent for generating early flowering varieties. In summary, Hora maize variety was better performing both statistically and in eyes of farmers and need seed multiplication and distribution to farming community. Moreover, the variability observed among the maize varieties could be utilizing in future breeding activities.