Hot pepper is the dominant vegetable crop grown in different parts of Ethiopia with long history of cultivation and considerable genetic diversity for most important morphological traits. However, shortage of varieties, the prevalence of fungal and bacterial as well as viral diseases, information is lacking on genetic diversity and genetic information to design genetic resource conservation to improve yield and yield components of hot pepper. The study was undertaken to assess the morphological diversity of 64 hot pepper genotypes at Axum Agricultural Research Centre in Mereb Leke District during the year 2017/2018, using 8×8 simple lattice design. Analysis of variance revealed that there were a significant (P<0.01) differences in genetic variation among genotypes for 19 morphological and fruit characters. The genetic distances measured by D 2 and Ward's clustering method was grouped (the 64 genotypes) into seven distinct clusters. The maximum and minimum distances were observed between Clusters III and VII (189.09) and clusters I and V (29.24). This indicated the existence of a possibility to improve genotypes through hybridization from pair of clusters and subsequent selection can be made from the segregants generations. Principal component analysis showed that the first five principal component analysis explained about 79.45% of the total variation. Generally, the study confirmed presence of adequate genetic diversity between any pair of clusters which could be exploited for future variety improvement program.

Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) is a unique crop developed and cultivated in Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were; understanding the genetic variability present in Dekoko population, determining the correlation between grain yield, protein content and other traits and understanding traits that can be used for indirect selection for high grain yield and high protein content. Local collections of Dekoko were planted in 3 replications of the RCBD design at Mekhan farmers' Training Centre in Endamekhoni during 2010.Traits such as days to flowering and maturity and leaf width had low phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation and low genetic advance (<20%). The genotypic correlation between and the direct effect of days to flowering, plant height and biomass on seed yield was positive suggesting that the traits can be used for indirect selection of high yielding accessions. Seed yield and protein content had perfect negative genotypic correlation (-1.00). The direct effect of protein content on seed yield was also negative implying that simultaneous selection towards increased seed yield and increased protein content at the same time may be difficult.

Hot pepper production in most areas of Ethiopia especially in Tigray region is constrained by shortage of varieties, the prevalence of fungal and bacterial as well as viral diseases. Sixty-four hot pepper genotypes were evaluated to obtain the extent of genetic variability, association among characters. The experiment was laid out using 8x8 simple lattice design at Axum Agricultural Research center in 2017/18. Data were collected for 19 agronomic characters and analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p<0.01) among the genotypes for all characters. Fruit yield ranged from 0.8 to 4.5 t ha-1 with a mean of 2.7 t ha-1. The genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) ranged from 3.57and 3.84 for days to maturity to 42.4 and 42.9% for average single fruit weight. All the traits had moderate to very high broad sense heritability while genetic advance as percent of mean (GAM) ranged from 8.34 for days to maturity to 85% for average single fruit weigh. High heritability coupled with high GAM was obtained for average single fruit weight, fruit length, dry fruit yield per plant, fruit diameter and thousand seed weight reflecting the presence of additive gene action for the expression of these traits and improvement of these characters could be done through selection. Fruit yield per hectare had positive and highly significant phenotypic and genotypic correlations with dry fruit yield per plant, average single fruit weight, fruit pericarp thickness, thousand seed weight, fruit diameter and fruit length, but it had negative and highly significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations with days to maturity. Estimates of genotypic and phenotypic direct and indirect effects of various characters on fruit yield showed that dry fruit yield per plant, fruit pericarp thickness had the highest positive direct contribution to fruit yield indicating that selection based on these characters will improve fruit yield. In conclusion, the research results showed the presence of significant variations among genotypes for agro-morphology traits. Therefore, it is recommended further evaluation of genotypes or hybrids that exhibited highest yield, quality and disease resistance in subsequent breeding programs to improve the productivity of the crop.

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Six recently released bread wheat varieties, namely Inseno-1, Kekeba, Millenium, Dandandaa', Sulla and Tay together with check variety Kubssa were tested under participatory varietal evaluation and selection trial at Wente-Sestro kebele, Lanfuro Woreda, of southern nation, nationalities and people region Ethiopia using motherbaby trials methodology in four Mothers and fifteen babies on farmers fields in 2010/2011 cropping season with objectives of evaluating the performance, selecting well performed & farmers accepted varieties, and identifying farmers varietal selection criteria. Data were collected on crop Phonology, growth and yield & yield related traits from the mother trials and farmers perception on the varieties both from mother and baby trials. The analysis of variance revealed that the varieties differed significantly (P<0.001) in days to heading, grain filling period, days to maturity, biomass yield, number of tillers per plant, spike length, number of grains per spike, thousand seed weigh, harvest index and plant height and) in fertile spikes per plant (P<0.01. The variety Inseno-1 was significantly earlier in flowering (50 days) and maturity (86 days) than the variety Kubssa (58 and 91 days) and other varieties. The 1000-seed weight of the varieties Inseno-1 (40.88 g), Kekeba (38.05 g) and Millenium (32.45 g) was significantly larger than the 1000-seed weight of the check (27.87 g) and other varieties. The varieties Inseno-1 (3020.7 kgha-1), Kekeba (2678.6 kgha-1) and Millenium (2374.1 kg ha-1) gave significantly higher grain yield than Kubssa (1622 kgha-1) and other varieties. Grain yield correlated positively and significantly with biomass yield (r = 0.89**), 1000seed weight (r = 0.87**), harvest index (r = 0.65**), grain filling rate (r = 0.97**) and negatively and significantly associated with days to maturity (r =-0.40*) and number of tillers per plant (r =-0.65**). The correlation coefficient values indicated that the early maturing wheat varieties having less number of tillers per plant, producing high biomass and heavier 1000-seed weight gave higher grain yields at Wente-Sestro. Farmers based on higher grain yield, disease resistant, earliness in maturity, larger and uniform seed size, seed color and marketability of the varieties have selected the varieties Inseno-1, Kekeba and Millenium as first, second and third from other tested varieties, respectively and decided to replace Kubssa by these varieties.