Stability Analysis of Finger Millet Genotypes in Moisture Stressed Areas of Northern Ethiopia

Finger millet is one of the important cereals in Ethiopia, preferred for food and local drink preparation and animal feed. In spite of its importance, yield is low due to production problems, such lodging, moisture stress, disease (blast), weed, shortage of improved varieties and poor agronomic managements. Breeding of improved varieties with the farmers’ desired traits is one of the strategies of the national finger millet improvement programs. Multi-location trail is a basic task of breeding programs, for identifying and recommendation of a stable and high yielder variety. Nine advanced finger millet genotypes along with local check and standard check (Tadesse) were evaluated at moisture stressed finger millet growing areas of northern Ethiopia. Experiments were conducted in Rama during 2012, 2013 and 2014, in Ahferom during 2013 and 2014 and in Maistebri during 2014 cropping season, to select and recommend better performing stable genotypes. AMMI, ASV and GGE methods of genotype by environment interaction analysis, identified KNE#622 as relatively with low interaction accompanied with high grain yield performance, which can be recommended for moisture stressed areas. All the parameters indicated the local check and standard check were the worst varieties for their high interaction and low grain yield. Keywords: Advanced lines, AMMI stability value Ethiopia, finger millet, genotype by environment interactio

Participatory Evaluation and Selection of Improved Bread Wheat (Triticum Aestivum. L) Varieties in Northern Ethiopia

Participatory variety selection trials were conducted in 2018 G.C in Laelay-maichew, Tahtay-maichew and Ahferom districts of central zone of Tigrai to evaluate the performance of improved bread wheat (Triticum aestivum. L) Variety and to assess farmers’ criteria for bread wheat variety selection. Six improved bread wheat varieties (Mekelle-1, Mekelle-2, Ogolcho, Kingbird and Hedasse) including the most popular variety ‘Kakaba’ were used for the study at eighteen farmers (six from each district). The experiment was laid out using randomized complete block design at baby trial with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference among the tested varieties for most of the agronomic traits except for kernels per spike and harvest index in all the tested locations. In the preference ranking, farmers used their own traits of interest which were very important in their wheat varieties for selection. Hence, common criteria’s identified by the farmers to select the best varieties were; grain yield, biomass yield, earliness, disease resistance, spike length and seed size. Accordingly direct matrix ranking by farmers showed that Ogolcho was top ranked both at L/maichew and Ahferom followed by Kakaba, however Mekelle-1 was first ranked followed by Kakaba at T/maichew.  Therefore farmers of L/maichew and Ahferom were recommended to use Ogolcho and Kakaba, whereas Mekelle-1 was recommended for T/maichew

Adaptation of Tef {Eragrostistef(Zucc) Trotter} Varieties for Early Maturing Types in Tigray

Tef is the most important and wider adaptable cereal crop in Ethiopia. The most limiting tef productions are low yielding cultivars, biotic such as pest and diseases and abiotic such as drought, fertility depletion and inappropriate agronomic practice and difficulty nature of tef for mechanization. The objective of the study was to evaluate the adaptability of early maturing tef varieties. Tef varieties were evaluated for their earliness and adaptability at three locations and over two years. The trial included 8 varieties and one local check with the design of RCBD in three replications. The analysis of variance showed that there was significant difference (P<-0.001) between genotypes and locations for the days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, panicle length, grain yield and (P<-0.05) for biomass yield. However, it does not provide evidence for interaction between the varieties and locations on all traits except for days to maturity. Simada was early maturing and well performing, following Boset. Therefore, cultivation of both varieties enhances the production of tef in the study areas and similar agro-ecologies. Allocation of varieties to their niche might increase the productivity of tef. In general, evaluation tef varieties in the right place and development of target variety for earliness and yield performance increase production in the region as well as the nation. Further work needed breeding to develop drought tolerant and higher yielding

Grain Yield Performance and Parametric Stability Statistics of Tef {Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trotter} Genotypes in Tigray, Ethiopia

The most constraints of tef productions are lodging, drought, low yield cultivars; insect and disease affected the growth of tef. These, factors causes inconsistence performance yield due to GEI. The objective was to evaluate tef genotypes on their yield performance, stability and parametric stability to select most independent and informative statistics method. The experiment was conducted at four locations for two seasons; with design of RCBD three replications, two standard checks and 19 tef genotypes. Data was collected on grain yield and analyzed by R software and STABILITYSOFT. The analysis of variance for the combined mean of grain yield showed that there was significance difference (P<0.001) between genotypes, environments and GEI. Yield performance was influenced by Environments and GEI. The mean grain yield of genotypes over GEI varies from 820.94kg/ha to 2438.90kg/ha, while the genotype grain yield was ranged from 1382 to 1989kg/ha. G19, G17 and G6 were identified the higher grain yield performance over seven environments. Whereas, G8 and G11 were the lowest yielding tef genotypes. Nine parametric methods and GGE biplot were used to evaluate the stability of the genotypes. G19 was the most stable following G17 and would be grown for unfavorable growing environments. However, G6 was stable for favorable environmental condition. G19 and G17 had static stability and fitting for area faced with erratic rain fall. Even though, parametric stability did not show a positive and statistically significant correlation with mean yield the Mean variance component (θi) is selected with GGE biplot for evaluation of tef genotypes in the development of cultivar. Effective selection of variety would be best if mega-environment, representative and discriminating testing areas are identified

Participatory Evaluation and Selection of Improved Bread Wheat (Triticum Aestivum. L) Varieties in Northern Ethiopia

Participatory variety selection trials were conducted in 2018 G.C in Laelay-maichew, Tahtay-maichew and Ahferom districts of central zone of Tigrai to evaluate the performance of improved bread wheat (Triticum aestivum. L) Variety and to assess farmers’ criteria for bread wheat variety selection. Six improved bread wheat varieties (Mekelle-1, Mekelle-2, Ogolcho, Kingbird and Hedasse) including the most popular variety ‘Kakaba’ were used for the study at eighteen farmers (six from each district). The experiment was laid out using randomized complete block design at baby trial with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference among the tested varieties for most of the agronomic traits except for kernels per spike and harvest index in all the tested locations. In the preference ranking, farmers used their own traits of interest which were very important in their wheat varieties for selection. Hence, common criteria’s identified by the farmers to select the best varieties were; grain yield, biomass yield, earliness, disease resistance, spike length and seed size. Accordingly direct matrix ranking by farmers showed that Ogolcho was top ranked both at L/maichew and Ahferom followed by Kakaba, however Mekelle-1 was first ranked followed by Kakaba at T/maichew.  Therefore farmers of L/maichew and Ahferom were recommended to use Ogolcho and Kakaba, whereas Mekelle-1 was recommended for T/maichew.</jats:p

Adaptation of Tef {Eragrostistef(Zucc) Trotter} Varieties for Early Maturing Types in Tigray

Tef is the most important and wider adaptable cereal crop in Ethiopia. The most limiting tef productions are low yielding cultivars, biotic such as pest and diseases and abiotic such as drought, fertility depletion and inappropriate agronomic practice and difficulty nature of tef for mechanization. The objective of the study was to evaluate the adaptability of early maturing tef varieties. Tef varieties were evaluated for their earliness and adaptability at three locations and over two years. The trial included 8 varieties and one local check with the design of RCBD in three replications. The analysis of variance showed that there was significant difference (P&lt;-0.001) between genotypes and locations for the days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, panicle length, grain yield and (P&lt;-0.05) for biomass yield. However, it does not provide evidence for interaction between the varieties and locations on all traits except for days to maturity. Simada was early maturing and well performing, following Boset. Therefore, cultivation of both varieties enhances the production of tef in the study areas and similar agro-ecologies. Allocation of varieties to their niche might increase the productivity of tef. In general, evaluation tef varieties in the right place and development of target variety for earliness and yield performance increase production in the region as well as the nation. Further work needed breeding to develop drought tolerant and higher yielding. </jats:p

Grain Yield Performance and Parametric Stability Statistics of Tef {Eragrostis tef (Zucc) Trotter} Genotypes in Tigray, Ethiopia

The most constraints of tef productions are lodging, drought, low yield cultivars; insect and disease affected the growth of tef. These, factors causes inconsistence performance yield due to GEI. The objective was to evaluate tef genotypes on their yield performance, stability and parametric stability to select most independent and informative statistics method. The experiment was conducted at four locations for two seasons; with design of RCBD three replications, two standard checks and 19 tef genotypes. Data was collected on grain yield and analyzed by R software and STABILITYSOFT. The analysis of variance for the combined mean of grain yield showed that there was significance difference (P&lt;0.001) between genotypes, environments and GEI. Yield performance was influenced by Environments and GEI. The mean grain yield of genotypes over GEI varies from 820.94kg/ha to 2438.90kg/ha, while the genotype grain yield was ranged from 1382 to 1989kg/ha. G19, G17 and G6 were identified the higher grain yield performance over seven environments. Whereas, G8 and G11 were the lowest yielding tef genotypes. Nine parametric methods and GGE biplot were used to evaluate the stability of the genotypes. G19 was the most stable following G17 and would be grown for unfavorable growing environments. However, G6 was stable for favorable environmental condition. G19 and G17 had static stability and fitting for area faced with erratic rain fall. Even though, parametric stability did not show a positive and statistically significant correlation with mean yield the Mean variance component (θi) is selected with GGE biplot for evaluation of tef genotypes in the development of cultivar. Effective selection of variety would be best if mega-environment, representative and discriminating testing areas are identified.</jats:p