This study aimed to analyze the seed potato systems in Ethiopia, identify constraints and prioritize improvement options, combining desk research, rapid appraisal and formal surveys, expert elicitation, field observations and local knowledge. In Ethiopia, informal, alternative and formal seed systems co-exist. The informal system, with low quality seed, is dominant. The formal system is too small to contribute significantly to improve that situation. The informal seed system should prioritize improving seed quality by increasing awareness and skills of farmers, improving seed tuber quality of early generations and market access. The alternative and formal seed systems should prioritize improving the production capacity of quality seed by availing new varieties, designing quality control methods and improving farmer's awareness. To improve overall seed potato supply in Ethiopia, experts postulated co-existence and linkage of the three seed systems and development of self-regulation and selfcertification in the informal, alternative and formal cooperative seed potato systems.Resumen Este estudio tuvo el propósito de analizar los sistemas de producción de papa en Etiopia, identificar limitantes, y priorizar opciones de mejorar, mediante la combinación de investigación de escritorio, apreciaciones rápidas y estudios formales, encuestas a expertos, observaciones de campo y conocimiento local. En Etiopia co-existen sistemas de semilla informal, alternativo y formal. Domina el sistema informal, con baja calidad de semilla. El sistema formal es muy pequeño como para contribuir significativamente al mejoramiento de esa situación. El sistema informal de semilla debería tener como prioridad el mejoramiento en la calidad de la semilla mediante el aumento en la atención y habilidades de los productores, mejorando la calidad de la semilla-tubérculo de las generaciones tempranas y el acceso al mercado. Los sistemas alternativo y formal de semilla deberían priorizar el mejoramiento en la capacidad de producción de semilla de calidad, mediante la validación de nuevas variedades, el diseño de métodos de control de calidad, y mejorando la atención del productor. Para mejorar el suministro general de semilla de papa en Etiopia, los expertos postularon la co-existencia y asociación de los tres sistemas de semillas y el desarrollo de autorregulación y autocertificación en los sistemas cooperativos de semilla de papa informal, alternativo y formal.

METHODOLOGYTh e study entailed two main steps. First, a so-called Delphi study was conducted to identify and prioritize, among experts and farmers, seed potato management attributes (e.g., sprouting method, fertilizer rates) aff ecting yield and seed quality. Th en, a two-part survey was performed (i) by conducting face-to-face interviews among farmers to collect specifi c demographic and management data, and (ii) by using a so-called conjoint task to elicit farmers' opinions on eff ects of selected management attributes on seed yield and quality.ABSTRACT A low adoption of recommended seed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) technologies in Ethiopia could be due to a lack of alternative seed potato production methods compatible with farmers' economic and agro-ecological conditions. A conjoint analysis (a technique used to measure relative contribution of product attributes) was conducted to elicit farmers' opinions on management attributes that they believed to aff ect yield and quality of potato. Th e study involved interviewing 324 farmers who grew seed potato in Jeldu and Welmera districts. Th e results showed that management attributes, such as storage method, hoeing combined with hill size, fertilizer rate (FR) and fungicide application (FA) frequency had larger eff ect on seed yield and quality than seed source, seed size, sprouting method, tillage frequency, and planting date. In both districts, using diff used light storage (DLS); hoeing twice, combined with big hills; and using recommended FR, combined with two FAs had signifi cant positive eff ects on yield and quality of seed potato. In both districts, if all farmers switched to the best management attribute levels, potential increases in seed yield would be about two times the actual seed yield produced in 2010. Th e results suggest that it is possible to design better methods to produce seed potato compared with methods that farmers currently use. Extension personnel could use these results to recommend to farmers those management attributes that are the most important to improve yield and quality of seed potato in Ethiopia.

Potato is a high potential food security crop in Ethiopia due to its high yield potential and nutritional quality tuber, short growing period, and wider adaptability. Arsi administrative province is one of the potential potato growing areas in southern parts of Ethiopia. The potato is grown there as a field crop, and it substantially supplies potatoes to the whole country. Despite the suitability of this area for high quantity and quality potato production in the country, there are several constraints, which drastically affect to the low production and productivity of potato crop by smallholder farmers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potato seed system, storage, pre-planting treatment practices applied and marketing systems followed by potato producing farmers and to suggest improvement options. In this research, a combination of literature study, expert elicitation, group discussion, field observation, and questionnaire base survey were used. The result of this study showed that a number of factors constraining the system including: unavailability of high quality seed tubers, unavailability of improved varieties, unavailability of improved storage structure, low price of the produce and poor transportation. It is concluded that availability of improved potato varieties, improved storage facilities, use of pesticides and better marketing opportunities are crucial to improve the potato crop system, to alleviate poverty and improve food security of smallholder farmers in the Arsi area in particular and in the country in general.