Abstract
The activity was conducted in Guagusa-shikudad district using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to evaluate the agronomic performance of four improved bread wheat varieties and their acceptability among local farmers. The agronomic traits such as days to 50% heading, days to 85% maturity, plant height, spike length, 1000 seed weight and grain yield were collected and subjected to a statistical analysis using SAS 9.4 statistical software. The varieties differed significantly for all traits except for their grain yield. Relatively, the highest grain yield was recorded by the variety ‘’Lemu’’ (2721kgha -1 ) followed by the varieties ‘’Ogolcho’’ (2665kgha -1 ), Wane (2649kgha -1 ) and ‘’Hidasse’’ (2342kg ha -1 ) respectively. The varieties were also qualitatively evaluated considering their resistance to disease and lodging. Farmers’ preference analysis through participatory varietal selection (PVS) approach using two different gender-based farmers discussion groups (FDG) confirmed that the varieties ‘’Lemu’’ and ‘’Wane’’ ranked 1 st and 3 rd respectively by both women and men FDG. The variety ‘’Ogolcho’’ ranked 4 th and 2 nd by men and women FDG respectively. Generally, Lemu, Ogolcho and Wane were selected by the FDGs for their better grain yield, 85% physiological maturity, better tillering capacity, strong stem, resistance to disease and lodging, better biomass yield, larger grain size, and longer spike length when compared to the standard check called Danda’a which is widely cultivated in the testing location. Therefore, based on the above result, the variety ‘’Lemu’’, ‘’Ogolcho’’ and ‘’Wane’’ are recommended to be demonstrated and disseminated in the small hold farms of Guagusa-Shikudad district and other agro-ecologically similar areas of Ethiopia. Keywords: Bread wheat varieties, Participatory varietal evaluation, Grain yield performance. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-13-02 Publication date: July 31 st 2022
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