Onion is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world including Ethiopia. The field experiment was conducted in Arsi zone at Kulumsa Agriculture Research Center and Ziway Dugda districts under irrigation condition. A total of five improved onion varieties were evaluated in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications with the objectives of studying the performance and adaptability of improved onion varieties for bulb yield and yield related traits in 2017 during off season. The combined Analysis of variance (variety by location) revealed that significant difference between improved onion varieties for maturity date, marketable and unmarketable bulb yield tons per hectare, bulb length in centimeter, and bulb weight in gram was observed. But non-significant difference for plant height in centimeter, total bulb yield tons per hectare and average bulb diameter in centimeter were observed between improved onion varieties. Except variety Adama Red all the tested improved onion varieties (Melkam, Nafis, Nasik Red and Bombay Red) was well performed and adapted. These varieties were gave more than 40 marketable bulb yield t ha -1 . So those improved onion varieties were recommended for the study area and areas of similar agro-ecological zones under off season growing condition.

The aim of the experiment was to determine the correlations between tuber yield and yield components and to measure the direct and indirect effects of yield components on tuber yield of potato genotypes. The experiment was conducted using eleven potato genotypes with one standard check variety (Belete) and a local check at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Bekoji sub-station during 2020-2021. Data were collected for tuber yield, tuber dry matter content (%), plant height (cm), stem number, specific gravity, and phenological parameters. Since the two seasons had heterogeneous error variance, analysis was carried out separately. In 2020, correlation analysis indicated that the tuber yield was positively and significantly associated with stem height (0.608), marketable tuber (0.997) and positively associated with tuber dry matter content, stem number per plant, days to maturity, while it was negatively correlated with specific gravity, days to emergence and days to flowering at the genotypic level. Total tuber yield was positively and significantly correlated with days to maturity (0.640), stem height (0.791), marketable tuber (0.977) and stem number at the genotypic level. While specific gravity was positively and significantly correlated at the phenotypic level; and negatively at the genotypic level in the second season. Results of path analyses indicated that marketable tubers had the highest positive direct effect (+1.059) on total tuber yield followed by days to flowering (+0.057) and specific gravity (+0.026) in 2020 while marketable tuber (0.7107), stem height (0.2842), tuber dry matter content (0.0078), days to maturity (0.1250) had also positive direct effect in 2021. In addition, most of the indirect effects of yield components on tuber yield were significant and positive. Significant effects of marketable tuber, tuber dry matter content, days to maturity and stem height on total tuber yield, indicated that they could be used as the criteria for potato improvement and breeding programs. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(2): 144-154, December 2022

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Hot pepper is an important spice and vegetable crop in Ethiopia. Its production is constrained by a number of problems among which declining soil fertility is the primary. The amount of fertilizer to be applied depends on soil fertility, fertilizer recovery rate, and organic matter, soil mineralization, and soil leaching. The solanaceous groups of vegetables including hot pepper generally take up large amounts of nutrients. The amount of nutrients it take up depends on the quantity of fruit and dry matter produce, which in turn is influenced by a number of genetic and environmental variables. In the absence of any other production constraints, nutrient uptake and yield are very closely related. Pepper, like other crop produces well when it is adequately supplied with the essential nutrients through fertilization. Farmers produce hot pepper using fertilizer which is essentially required for growth and productivity but, unbalanced application of plant nutrients magnifies the reduction of other important nutrient elements in soils. Previous fertilizer research work in Ethiopia has focused with macro nutrients under different soil types and various climatic conditions, while very limited work has been reported with other essential macro and micro nutrients. Recently acquired soil inventory data from EthioSIS (Ethiopian Soil Information System) revealed that in addition to N and P, nutrients such as S, B, Zn and Fe are deficient in Ethiopian soils. The yield of hot pepper varies year to year; this indicates that pepper crop need intensive care and management for high return per unit area and also fertilizer use efficiency depends to large extent on soil fertility conditions. Improving agronomic efficiency provides yield increases which can be achieved for a given quantity of fertilizer applied.