No abstract

The experiments were conducted on station and on farm in three districts of Wolayta and Hadiya Zones, south region, Ethiopia, to evaluate the adaptation and yield, assess farmer’s preferences of desi chick pea varieties  to this agro ecological Zones during 2004/05 Meher Season. Data on plant height, hundred seed weight, pod per plant, days to flowering, days to maturity and grain yield were recorded. Five released varieties namely worku, Akaki, Mariye, Dubie, Dz-10-11 and local checks of respective locations were planted on 4.8m2 plots at spacing of 30cm*10cm. The trials were laid in randomized complete block design with three replications. Twelve farmers from three districts at four villages’ three farmers at each village were participated in conducting on farm trials with each farmer as a replicate. There were significant differences among varieties for grain yield and some of traits.  The varieties Akaki and worku were superior yielded overall to the standard and local check across villages ’and on stations. Thus, Akaki and worku out yielded other varieties and had average yields of 1440.95 kg/ha and 1434.75kg/ha at on station and similar trends on farm. The combined statistical analysis and farmers assessments revealed Akaki and worku out yielding other varieties which were also selected by farmers and researchers as the most preferred varieties’. It is therefore recommended that worku and Akaki which had higher yields be promoted for cultivation in the selected districts of south Ethiopia.

Participatory variety evaluation and selection trials involving farmers in Southern Ethiopia were conducted in farmer's field in the districts of Duna, Doyogena, Angacha and Sodo zuria in Meher season of 2016/17. Farmers were provided with five improved varieties, which they compared with their own ones or respective local variety were evaluated and selected for desirable attributes following a randomized complete block design. In this participatory approach, farmers used different criteria to assess faba bean varieties at the flowering, maturity and harvest crop growth stages. Major selection criteria included stand establishment, plant height, maturity, seed size, leaf shading, suitability for intercropping, number of pod, number of branches, stem strength, disease and pest resistance, straw yield and grain yield Farmers preferred faba bean varieties Dosha, Bobicho-04, Tumsa and Gabalicho for their high yielding, large seed size and disease tolerance. The combined analysis showed Dosha was the best yielder with seed yield 2850 kg/ha followed by Bobicho-04(2800 kg/ha), Tumsa(2733.3 kg/ha), Gabalicho (2716.7 kg/ha), Walki (2416.7 kg/ha) and local variety (1816.7 kg/ha). The yield advantage range from 33% (variety walki) to 56.9% (variety Dosha) over the local variety. Overall, the results showed that farmers had knowledge to make decision of the preferred superior varieties compared to the ones currently grown by farmers. Farmers mostly preferred varieties which combined high yield, disease resistance, large seed size and resistance to lodging. Thus, the selected varieties need to be multiplied and distributed to farmers in order to improve adoption and varietal diversity.

Chickpea is one of the grain food legumes contributing an enormous amount of protein to the human diet in Southern Ethiopia. Though a lot of improved varieties were released by research centers farmers depend on low yield and local varieties. Hence, participatory variety selection is one of the methods used to evaluate varieties through involvement of users. Participatory Variety Selection (PVS) were conducted during 2015/2016 in Mirab Badwacho and Damot Fullasa districts of South region, Ethiopia to assess the performance of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties and to evaluate farmers' selection criteria for chickpea. Six improved varieties with local check were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Significant variation among chickpea varieties were observed for most the agronomic traits collected except for number of pod per plant which was not significant. Concerning location, the majority of the traits were showed significant difference indicating dissimilarity in agro ecologies of the two districts. The study also revealed that in some cases the researchers' selection match with farmers' preferences. However, in general farmers have shown their own way of selecting a variety for their localities. These parameters include earliness, diseases and pest resistance, seed colour, branch number and length and seed size. Hence, including farmers' preferences in a variety selection process is a paramount important. Therefore, based on attentively measured parameters, farmers' favourites and the agro ecologies of the site the varieties Natoli, Dalota and Arerti are selected for the area. The varieties Habru and Ejere should also be given due consideration by farmers for its earlier maturity in the study area.

This study was conducted on stations and on farm in three districts of South region, Ethiopia, to evaluate the lentil varieties for yield and adaptation, assess farmer's preferences during 2004/05 Meher Season. Data on plant height, hundred seed weight, pod per plant, days to flowering, days to maturity and grain yield were collected. Six lentil varieties which included five released and one local check of respective locations were planted on 3.2m 2 plots at spacing of 20cm* 2cm. The plots consisted of four rows which were four meters long for on-centre and on farm trials. The trials were laid in randomized complete block design with four replications. Twelve farmers from three districts of four farmers at each village were participated in executing on farm trials. Each farmer was a replicate for on farm component. There were significant differences among varieties for grain yield and some of traits. The results for the on-centre and on farm trials indicated that there were significant yield differences between the local check and the released varieties at two stations and three districts. The varieties Teshale and Alemaya were superior yielded overall to the local check across three villages 'and on stations. Thus, Alemaya and Teshale out yielded other varieties and had average yields of 1239.1 kg/ha and 1193.8 kg/ha at on station and 1165.1 kg/ha and 1202kg/ha at on farm trials, respectively. Combined statistical analysis and farmers assessments identified two genotypes (Teshale and Alemaya) as potential varieties for production in south Ethiopia. Therefore, based on researchers and farmers' preference, varieties Teshale and Alemaya are recommended for production in Lemu, Gumur and Damot Gale districts and similar agro ecologies of south Ethiopia.