Agro-ecologies Of Ethiopia Research Articles

Identification and prioritization of context-specific climate smart agricultural (CSA) practices in Ethiopia: a framework approach

Ethiopia’s diverse agroecological zones showcase a variety of Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) Practices, yet the documentation and prioritization of best-bet practices have been lacking. To address this gap, this study utilized the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS)-CSA Prioritization framework. This approach was deployed across nine key agro-ecologies in Ethiopia to identify and prioritize CSA practices based on the three pillars of CSA and gender-equity considerations. By employing this participatory framework, this study successfully identified and prioritized over 200 Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices within Ethiopia’s nine major agroecological zones. These practices were segmented into four main systems: crop management (40 practices), livestock management (41 practices), soil fertility management (40 practices), erosion control and water management (41 practices), and forest and agroforestry (40 practices). Notably, the results highlighted the significance of CSA practices linked to agroforestry/forestry management, rangeland/forage enhancement, exclosure strategies, and water management in addressing the goals associated with the three pillars (productivity, adaptation, mitigation) of CSA practices simultaneously. The findings also revealed that the majority of Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices focused on improving productivity and enhancing adaptation to climate change. Additionally, the results demonstrated that trade-offs exist among the three pillars of CSA, emphasizing the need for integration with other practices to enhance complementarity and achieve all pillars simultaneously. Overall, this study underscores the importance of combining CSA practices of various categories to maximize their effectiveness and impact in sustainable agriculture.

Climate Smart Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Variety Development for Optimum Moisture Areas of Ethiopia

A study was undertaken during the 2017–18 to 2018–19 cropping seasons at at eleven locations and/or seventeen environments in optimum moisture areas of Ethiopian to identify stable genotypes with high grain yield and release as a variety for optimum-moisture environments. Alpha-lattice design with three replications was used. The combined ANOVA revealed very highly significant differences (p≤0.001) among genotypes, environments, and GEI for yield and its components. The environment sum of squares contributed more than the genotype and GEI sum of squares for the total variance of all traits. When we consider the overall mean for grain yield, genotype ETBW8751 (5.12 t ha-1) the highest value followed by ETBW9554 (5.10 t ha-1) whereas the lowest grain yield was obtained from the genotype ETBW8804 (3.67 t ha-1). GGE and AMMI analysis explained almost similar amounts of variation; however, AMMI still show a slightly greater proportion than GGE during our study. According to AMMI and GGE analysis genotype 21 (ETBW9553) was more stable as well as high yielding followed by 22 (ETBW9554) and 2 (ETBW8751. Conversely, 15 (ETBW9547) was unstable, but high yielding. Hidasse had low yields but was unstable. ETBW9554 was validated on farmers’ fields and recommended for registration as a commercial variety and finally released in 2020 with its designated local name “Boru” for commercial production for mid to highland agro-ecologies in Ethiopia.

Genetic diversity in Ethiopian sorghum germplasm for root system architecture and trait association

Sorghum productivity in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa is very low, mainly due to limited water availability. Roots are the primary conduit for plants to access moisture and nutrients. Root growth angle determines the direction of root elongation in the soil profile and is an important trait for adaptation to water-limited environments. Information on the extent of genetic variation in root system architecture (RSA) and its relationship with drought response is critical for improving the performance of the crop under drought stress. The objective of this study was to examine the degree of genetic variability for root and shoot traits in sorghum germplasm during the seedling stage. Two hundred and ninety-one sorghum germplasm adapted to different agroecologies of Ethiopia were phenotyped for root and shoot traits using a purpose-built root chamber in the greenhouse at Jimma University. The experiment was set up in a row-column design with three replicates. Significant genetic variation (P < 0.01) was observed for all traits examined except root hair number and shoot dry weight. Root angle varied from 9° to 21.3° with an average of 14.9° and showed moderate heritability of 44.38%. Root dry weight also exhibited moderate heritability (49.3%). Correlation and path coefficient analysis revealed that root angle (RA) was uncorrelated with other RSA traits. Cluster analysis using the RSA traits grouped the 291 genotypes into four different clusters. The first three principal components accounted for about 50% of the total variation. The results demonstrate that the Ethiopian sorghum germplasm exhibits large variation in RSA traits that can be harnessed in breeding programs to enhance sorghum productivity under drought stress.

Grain yield and quality responses of durum wheat (Triticum turgium L. var. durum) to nitrogen and phosphorus rate in Yilmana Densa, Northwestern Ethiopia

Proper rate of fertilizer application is the major factor that affects yield and quality of durum wheat. Location specific fertilizer recommendation is lacking for durum wheat, therefore, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) field experiment on durum wheat was carried out on farmer's field in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons at Yilmana Densa district, Northwestern Ethiopia. The objective was to examine the response of durum wheat to N and P application and determine the optimal rate of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) for durum wheat production in the district and similar agro ecology areas. Factorial combinations of four N levels (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha−1) and four P levels (0, 17.5, 35 and 52.5 kg ha−1) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications per site, over two sites in each year. Results indicated that N significantly affected most of the crop parametrs including grain yield, plant height, total number of tillers and effective tillers, spike length and seeds per spike, and the maximum value of the parameters recorded at the highest rate of N while application of phosphorus affected grain yield, plant height and spile length. The interaction effect of N and P significantly affected grain yield, plant height and seeds per spike. Grain yield showed quadratic and linear response to N and P application, respectively. The maximum grain yield (5182 kg ha−1) was obtained from the highest rate 270/52.5 N/P kg ha−1. The economic analysis revealed application of 270/52.5 N/P kg ha−1 gave the highest net benefit of 169741 ETB ha−1 with marginal rate of return 1453% and full fills the standard for quality of durum wheat production and hence can be recommended in Yilmana Densa District and other similar agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. The study revealed the need to further investigation for optimal N and P rates for different durum wheat varieties as they differ in protein content under the same management practices.

Nutritional Content Analysis of Crop Residues in Three Agroecologies in East Gojjam Zone.

Livestock is important and plentiful in Ethiopia, but its potential is not being used to its full extent due to limited supply and inconsistent feed supply. This has a negative impact on livestock productivity in the tropics, where crop residues are used as livestock feed. The analysis of the nutritional content of feed and the measurement of feed production are crucial for maintaining the optimal balance of annual livestock feed and improving livestock production. However, no research has been conducted on the nutritional composition of the crop residues in the East Gojjam zone. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the nutritional content of crop residues in the three agroecologies in Ethiopia's East Gojjam zone. Ash, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were analyzed in the feed samples. According to the findings, the overall mean content of DM, ash, OM, CP, NDF, ADF, and ADL was 92.3, 5.2, 87.1, 4.1, 71, 56.6, and 9.6%, respectively. The faba bean has the highest CP (6.2%), followed by barley straws (5.5%), vetch haulms (5.5%), Eragrostis tef (3.7%), wheat straws (3.2%), and maize stover (2.9%). In general, all crop residues contain CP content below the critical CP level required even for livestock maintenance. The highest NDF was found in barley straw (75.1%), which was followed by wheat straw (72.0%), Eragrostis tef straw (70.2%), vetch haulms (69.3%), maize stover (67.4%), and faba bean haulms (67.2%). All types of crop residues were classified as low-quality feed because they contained more than 65% NDF, which could affect feed intake and livestock production. Therefore, crop residues must be improved using mechanical, biological, and chemical methods in order to increase livestock production in the study areas by increasing feed consumption.

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for genetic diversity and population structure study in Ethiopian barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) germplasm

BackgroundHigh-density single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant and robust form of genetic variants and hence make highly favorable markers to determine the genetic diversity and relationship, enhancing the selection of breeding materials and the discovery of novel genes associated with economically important traits. In this study, a total of 105 barley genotypes were sampled from various agro-ecologies of Ethiopia and genotyped using 10 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The refined dataset was used to assess genetic diversity and population structure.ResultsThe average gene diversity was 0.253, polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.216, and minor allelic frequency (MAF) of 0.118 this revealed a high genetic variation in barley genotypes. The genetic differentiation also showed the existence of variations, ranging from 0.019 to 0.117, indicating moderate genetic differentiation between barley populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 46.43% and 52.85% of the total genetic variation occurred within the accessions and populations, respectively. The heat map, principal components and population structure analysis further confirm the presence of four distinct clusters.ConclusionsThis study confirmed that there is substantial genetic variation among the different barley genotypes. This information is useful in genomics, genetics and barley breeding.

Evaluation of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) genotypes for resistance to common bacterial blight and angular leaf spot diseases, and agronomic performances

Common bean is the most important pulse crops worldwide and in Ethiopia for its multipurpose uses. However, common bean production and productivity is mainly constrained by common bacterial blight (CBB) and angular leaf spot (ALS) diseases. Identifying and using resistant common bean genotypes is the best option to reduce the impact of such bacterial and fungal diseases. Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the genetic resistance of 25 common bean genotypes as treatments to CBB and ALS diseases, and agronomic performances at Haramaya and Melkassa, Ethiopia, during the 2019 and 2020 main cropping seasons. The treatments were arranged in a 5 × 5 triple lattice design with three replications. Data on disease intensity, growth, grain yield and yield components were recorded. Analysis of variance indicated significant (p < 0.0001) variations existed among the genotypes for diseases intensity, grain yield and yield components. Eight genotypes, namely DAB-388, DAB-478, DRKDDRB-70, DRKDDRB-81, NUA-225, NUA-517, NUA-536 and NUA-577 attained relatively low disease severity, AUDPC and disease progress rate next to the checks Zoasho (DAB-96) and Gorossa (Biofort large seed-5) to both common bean diseases regardless of locations and seasons. The genotype DAB-525 showed a moderately resistant reaction to both CBB and ALS, and the other genotypes demonstrated variable disease resistance reactions at both locations and in the two cropping years. Similarly, genotypes DAB-388, NUA-225, NUA-517, and NUA-577 relatively executed well for grain yield and yield components at both experimental fields in the 2019 and 2020 main cropping seasons. Disease severity and grain yield variably and negatively associated with reaction groups of genotypes evaluated for reaction CBB and ALS diseases. In the study, resistance to CBB and ALS diseases and good agronomic performing common bean genotypes were identified which could be important for smallholder and commercial bean production in the study area and other similar agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. It is suggested that a large number of common bean accessions should be evaluated in CBB and ALS hot spot agro-ecologies of Ethiopia for more sources of resistance and better agronomic advantages.

Participatory Variety Selection of Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties in the Low Lands of Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important staple food in the lowland of North Shewa, Ethiopia. However, the crop is less researched in this area. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the performance of improved open pollinated variety maize with the participation of farmers’ using their selection criteria for cultivation in the lowland areas of North Shewa. Methods: Fourteen open pollinated maize varieties including local were evaluated in the lowland of Eastern Amhara at Eferatana Gedim district, Yimlo research station in 2016 and 2017 main cropping season. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications. Five agronomic and yield traits were collected in both cropping years. In addition, maize small holder farmers were participated to evaluate and score varieties using the matrix ranking method based on the farmers’ selection attributes. Result: The combined analysis of variance across years showed that highly significant (p less than 0.01) difference for days to anthesis, grain yield. The highest grain yield was obtained from Melkassa-4 (5243 kg/ha) and Melkasa-2 (5115 kg/ha) while the lowest yield was recorded from Rare-1 (3294 kg/ha). The overall yielding ability of Melkasa-4 was higher as compared with the tested varieties. In addition, this variety was highly appreciated by maize farmers in both cropping years. Based on farmer’s selection and yield potential, therefore, Melkassa-4 has recommended for the lowlands of North Shewa and similar agro ecologies in Ethiopia. Support is needed to scale-up and deliver such improved variety through involving farmers in the selection and dissemination of varieties that are adapted to their needs, as it incurred income, good in crop rotation and animal feed.

Wheat Production in Drought-Prone Agro-Ecologies in Ethiopia: Diagnostic Assessment of Farmers’ Practices and Sustainable Coping Mechanisms and the Role of Improved Cultivars

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is traditionally cultivated under drought-affected and low-input agro-ecologies in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Wheat productivity in these agro-systems is considerably low (&lt;2.4 t/ha) due to climate change-induced drought and heat stress, a lack of modern production technologies, including climate-smart varieties, and an array of biotic and abiotic factors. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of wheat production in drought-prone agro-ecologies and to assess farmers’ practices and sustainable coping mechanisms and the role of improved cultivars in Ethiopia. A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) study was conducted involving 170 randomly selected wheat farmers in the drier areas of Arsi Zone of the Oromia Regional State. Results showed that wheat and tef (Eragrostis tef Zucc.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were the most widely grown cereal crops in the study areas as the primary food source and cash income. Yield losses varying from 63.1 to 73.8% were reported by farmers due to drought stress occurring mainly during grain filling stage. The majority of the respondent farmers (&gt;50%) planted wheat in early July using the broadcasting method. Their land was of medium fertility, and the application of inorganic fertilizer was suboptimal. Due to crop failures by intense drought conditions in the study areas, above 50% of the respondent farmers had not expressed coping strategies against drought stress except resorting to government food aid. However, about 22% of the respondent farmers reported improved agronomic practices, such as the cultivation of early maturing wheat varieties and soil and water conservation methods as sustainable solutions to mitigate against drought. Therefore, current and future wheat breeding in Ethiopia should target drought and heat stress tolerance and adaptive crop traits as ideal coping strategies under low input agriculture systems for sustainable wheat production and productivity.

Multivariate analysis of morphometric traits to differentiate the indigenous chicken reared under different Agro-ecologies of Ethiopia

This is to differentiate indigenous chickens at different agro-ecologies based on morphometric traits using multivariate analysis. Morphometric data were collected from a total of 520 (130 male and 390 female) adult indigenous chickens. Traits scored were body weight, body length, breast circumference, wingspan, shank length, shank circumference, comb length, wattle length, earlobe length and beak length. Ten quantitative traits for both sexes were subjected to the stepwise discriminant analysis, of which four (wingspan, live body weight, shank circumference, and body length) in females and two of them (shank length, and wingspan) in males were identified as the best discriminating variables. CAN1 and CAN2 were extracted with 61.5% and 38.6% of the total variation in females, respectively and CAN1 (89.3%) and CAN2 (10.7%) of the total variation in parameters of male chicken populations. The higher classification rates were obtained in highland agroecology for female (64.7%) and midland for male (89.8%) chickens. Cross-validation with split–sample indicated that 62.7% (highland), 39% (lowland) and 59.3% (midland) success rate. The longest pairwise Mahalanobis distance was observed between midland and highland in male chickens and between lowland and highland in females, whereas the shortest distance was observed between lowland and highland in male and female chicken populations. The variations obtained in chickens of different agro-ecologies and sexes considered as opportunities for genetic improvement of indigenous chicken genetic resources, because significantly related parameters could be used as selection criterion for improving body weight of Ethiopian indigenous chickens under small scale farmers.

Isolation of nematophagous fungi from soil samples collected from three different agro-ecologies of Ethiopia

BackgroundSeveral species of nematophagous fungi exist in nature that can capture and kill nematodes as natural predators of soil-dwelling worms. These are important in agriculture and animal husbandry as biological control agents. The diversity of nematophagous fungi found from soil had not been studied in Ethiopia.ObjectiveThis study aimed to isolate Nematophagous Fungi from Soil Samples Collected From three Different Agro-Ecologies of Ethiopia.MethodsCross-sectional study was conducted and samples were collected from three different agro-climatic zones of Ethiopia; Debre-Berhan (highland), Bishoftu (mid-altitude), and Awash (lowland). Twenty-seven soil samples were randomly taken from each of the three different agro-ecological climates (9 from each agro-ecological climatic zone). For each study site, samples were collected from the soil of decomposed animal feces/dung, agricultural/farmlands, and forest lands in triplicates.ResultsThe present study disclosed that nematophagous fungi were widespread from the study area. A total of 33 species of nematophagous fungi belonging to four genera, Arthrobotryes, Paecilomyces, Monacrosporium, and Harposporium were identified. Arthrobotrys were the most commonly isolated genera followed by Paecilomyces. The six identified species were Arthrobotrys oligospora, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Arthrobotryes dactyloides, Monacosporum eudermatum, Harposporium helicoides, and Monacosporum cionopagum.ConclusionThis study indicated that Arthrobothryes oligospora was the most common species in Bishoftu and Awash whereas. In Debre-Berhan, Paecilomyces lilacinus was the most prevalent species. Monacosporum cionapagum was not isolated from dung soil and agricultural soil whereas Harposporium helicoides and Arthrobothryes dactyloides were not found from dung and forest soil respectively.

English

Highly soluble N fertilizers like urea may be lost from the soil plant system through leaching, ammonia (NH3) volatilization and denitrification that reduce NUE and yield. The study was conducted to determine the effects of UREAStabil on enhancement of nitrogen utilization efficiencies of rice crop and to evaluate the influence of UREAStabil on growth and yield of rice under waterlogged conditions of Fogera area. Treatments were comprised, control, recommended N from conventional urea (as basal and tillering), recommended N from UREAStabil fertilizer applied once as basal, recommended N from UREAStabil (split as basal and tillering), half below the recommended N from UREAStabil as basal, half more than the recommended N from UREAStabil (split as basal and tillering), half more than the recommended N from conventional urea (split as basal and tillering), half more than the recommended N from UREAStabil as basal. Data were collected plant height, total tiller number, panicle length, number of fertile grains, thousand seed weight, grain yield, straw yield and harvest Index. Highly significantly (P&lt;0.01) affected grain yield (3.55 t ha-1) was recorded on 136.5 kg N ha-1 in split application 45.5 kg N ha-1 as basal and 91 kg N ha-1 tillering stage from UREAStabil source. Conventional urea source of N, application of 136.5 kg N ha-1 in split application (45.5 kg ha-1 as basal and 91 kg ha-1 tillering stage was provided higher yield (3.14) which is statistically non-significant compared to slow-release fertilizer. The economic analysis has further revealed that application of 136.5 kg N ha-1 from UREAStabil in split application of 45.5 kg N ha-1 as basal and 91 kg N ha-1 tillering stage provided highest net benefit of Birr 47,356 ha-1 was the most profitable treatment for lowland rice production. Application of 136.5 kg N ha-1 rate from the source of UREAStabil in split application of 45.5 kgha-1 as basal and 91 kg N ha-1 tillering stage is the best to be recommended for lowland rice production of Fogera and similar agro-ecologies in Ethiopia.&nbsp; &nbsp; Key words: Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), UREAStabil, profitability, yield.

Phenotypic characterization of Amaro coffee (Coffea arabica L.) local accessions using multi-variate techniques at Awada, Southern Ethiopia

AbstractAs a country of origin of coffee, Ethiopia is endowed with an immense diversity of the crop in its diverse coffee-growing agro-ecologies. Amaro Kelo is one of the major coffee production agro-ecologies in Ethiopia, where the genetic diversity of its landrace coffee germplasm was not properly characterized previously. The study aimed to characterize 64 Amaro Kelo local coffee accessions to understand the potential of the accessions for utilization in future coffee genetic improvement efforts. The experiment was laid out in an 8 × 8 simple lattice design with two replications at Awada Agricultural Research Sub-Center. Data were collected on 19 quantitative and 10 qualitative traits, and subjected to multivariate analyses, i.e. cluster and principal component analyses. The cluster analysis identified five clusters based on the quantitative characters, and the distances between most of the clusters were highly significant at P &lt; 0.01. Principal component analysis revealed the first six principal components with Eigenvalues greater than one accounted for 77.7% of the total variation. The first two principal components with respective contributions of 23.32 and 18.85% cumulatively accounted for 42.2% of the total variation in the accessions. In addition, high values of Shannon-diversity index were found for the qualitative traits: branching habit, growth habit, fruit shape, overall appearance and stem habit. In general, the multivariate analyses confirmed the presence of high variation among the studied Amaro-Kelo coffee accessions that might serve as an important genetic resource for future coffee genetic improvement or conservation efforts.

Agroecology Is Affecting Village Chicken Producers' Breeding Objective in Ethiopia.

This study assessed factors that determine village chicken producers' trait preferences in different agroecologies of Ethiopia. Three hundred and eighty village chicken producers were sampled for individual interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Inbreeding coefficients of chicken populations in the three major agroecologies were estimated. In addition, the multivariate regression model was employed to evaluate the degree to which agroecological difference and socioeconomic and institutional factors impact village chicken producers' trait preferences. Egg and meat production for consumption and income generation were the three major village chicken production functions in the study. Plumage color and weight were ranked first for male and female chicken, respectively. Red plumage color (52.4%) was the primary choice followed by white color (24.5%). Agroecology and livestock holding (TLU) significantly (P < 0.05) affected farmers' preference toward economic traits, while land holding significantly (P < 0.05) affected reproductive traits. Distance to market significantly (P < 0.05) affected farmers' preference toward adaptive traits. The inbreeding coefficient of 0.25, 0.23, and 0.06 was recorded in low, mid, and highland agroecologies, respectively. The agroecological difference is affecting village chicken producers' breeding objective in Ethiopia. A higher inbreeding coefficient was observed in the low and mid agroecologies. Future breed improvement programs should give due consideration to village chicken producers' socioeconomic characteristics and agroecological differences.

Heterogeneous impacts of climate change on crop yields across altitudes in Ethiopia

Impacts of climate change can differ from one region to another. We combine the household-level panel data with weather and climate data to examine the heterogeneity of the impacts of climate change on crop yields across different crops and agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. Our results show that climate change will induce an increase in coffee and teff yields by 31% and 8.3%, respectively, at high altitudes by the years 2041–2060 compared to 1988–2018, under a medium emissions scenario. Conversely, it will reduce coffee yield by 3% at low altitudes, and barley, maize, and wheat yield by 22.7%, 48%, and 10%, respectively, at high altitudes. These findings suggest that tailoring agricultural development programs and climate adaptation strategies to address location and crop-specific sensitivity to climate change may help to build resilience and improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers.

Exploring teff yield variability related with farm management and soil property in contrasting agro-ecologies in Ethiopia

CONTEXTTeff is an important food-security crop for millions of people in Ethiopia. The demand for teff products is also increasing globally due to its health benefits as a gluten-free grain. However, teff productivity is low compared with other cereals. Crop yields vary widely among farms in rainfed production system. Identifying the key crop management practices and soil properties responsible for these variations will help to raise crop productivity through informed decision making by farmers, experts, researchers, and policy makers. OBJECTIVESThe objectives of this study were to assess the characteristics of the Ethiopian teff-cropping system, quantify the variability of grain yields among farms, and identify the impacts of different crop management practices and soil fertility parameters on yield variability. METHODSThe study examined 82 teff farms at three sites representing different teff-growing agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. Practices used to manage crops and soil on each farm were assessed. Composite topsoil samples were collected from farms at each site and analyzed for selected physical and chemical parameters. Grain and straw yields were quantified when crops were matured. Descriptive statistics, and factor analysis followed by multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the factors that caused the variability of yields among farms. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSTeff yields were highly variable within and across different agro-ecologies. The crop management factors that greatly affected yields were N and P application rates and days to harvesting. The most important soil characteristics were total nitrogen, texture and micronutrients. Poor teff yields were attributable to failure to implement improved agronomic practices, poor soil fertility, and inefficient production systems. Teff production system is a low-yielding, less-profitable, and resource-intensive enterprise. The observed variations in yields among farms indicated that there is a big opportunity to improve teff productivity. The high frequency of tillage, monocropping, and complete removal of crop residues were major causes of the low soil fertility. SIGNIFICANCEUnderstanding teff yield variability among farms helps to design appropriate yield improvement strategies. The use of low-cost crop-intensification options such as planting of improved cultivars using improved sowing methods, reduced tillage, incorporation of crop residues and legume-based crop rotation could sustainably improve productivity and restore soil fertility with minimal increases of costs in rainfed teff production system.

Species and Phenotypic Distribution Models Reveal Population Differentiation in Ethiopian Indigenous Chickens.

Smallholder poultry production dominated by indigenous chickens is an important source of livelihoods for most rural households in Ethiopia. The long history of domestication and the presence of diverse agroecologies in Ethiopia create unique opportunities to study the effect of environmental selective pressures. Species distribution models (SDMs) and Phenotypic distribution models (PDMs) can be applied to investigate the relationship between environmental variation and phenotypic differentiation in wild animals and domestic populations. In the present study we used SDMs and PDMs to detect environmental variables related with habitat suitability and phenotypic differentiation among nondescript Ethiopian indigenous chicken populations. 34 environmental variables (climatic, soil, and vegetation) and 19 quantitative traits were analyzed for 513 adult chickens from 26 populations. To have high variation in the dataset for phenotypic and ecological parameters, animals were sampled from four spatial gradients (each represented by six to seven populations), located in different climatic zones and geographies. Three different ecotypes are proposed based on correlation test between habitat suitability maps and phenotypic clustering of sample populations. These specific ecotypes show phenotypic differentiation, likely in response to environmental selective pressures. Nine environmental variables with the highest contribution to habitat suitability are identified. The relationship between quantitative traits and a few of the environmental variables associated with habitat suitability is non-linear. Our results highlight the benefits of integrating species and phenotypic distribution modeling approaches in characterization of livestock populations, delineation of suitable habitats for specific breeds, and understanding of the relationship between ecological variables and quantitative traits, and underlying evolutionary processes.

English

Use of optimum plant spacing (planting density) is one of the important agronomic practices to maximize the productivity of lettuce. A field experiment was conducted to assess the responses of two lettuce varieties to different plant spacing at Debrezeit and Holeta Agricultural Research Centers representing two different agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. Nine treatment combinations of three levels of inter-row and three levels of intra-row spacing were studied on two types of lettuce varieties. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in a factorial experiment. The results revealed that marketable and total fresh leaf yield, and fresh leaf weight per plant were significantly affected by the main effect of plant spacing and variety as well as its interaction (p&lt;0.05). Increasing planting density increased the total fresh leaf yield per unit area in both varieties, however reduced the fresh leaf weight per plant. The highest fresh leaf yield was obtained using 40 cm x 20 cm (125000 plants ha-1) planting density from variety Great Lakes, while variety Rsk-3 recorded its highest fresh leaf yield at the highest planting density of 30 cm x 20 cm (166667 plants ha-1). Great Lakes was superior over Rsk-3 in most yield parameters studied though Rsk-3 was better in leaf dry weight percent. Besides, both varieties responded differently in both sites while Great Lakes performed better at Debrezeit than at Holeta and Rsk-3 did well at Holeta than at Debrezeit. Hence, 40 cm x 20 cm and 30 cm x 20 cm could be used as the optimum plant spacing to grow Great Lakes and Rsk-3 respectively in the respective agro-ecologies. Key words: Agronomic practices, planting density, inter-and intra-row spacing, competition.

Statistical Modeling of Live Body Weight and Linear Body Measurements of Local Chicken at Different Agro-Ecologies of Ethiopia

Statistical Modeling of Live Body Weight and Linear Body Measurements of Local Chicken at Different Agro-Ecologies of Ethiopia

Genetic characterization of the orphan crop tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] accessions using simple sequence repeat markers

Tef is the most important and well adapted cereal crop in Ethiopia and grows better than other cereals both in biotic and abiotic stress conditions. In this study 93 tef accessions representative of various agro-ecologies of Ethiopia along with four improved varieties, one local check and six wild relatives were studied. The materials were genotyped with 12 simple sequence repeat markers (SSRs) to investigate the extent and structure of the genetic diversity of tef. A total of 152 alleles were detected indicating high polymorphism in the studied accessions. The number of alleles per polymorphic loci ranged from seven for CNLT 538 to 29 for CNLT150 with an average of 12.67. High average polymorphic information content (0.82) and average expected heterozygosity (0.86) also signifies the suitability and efficiency of SSR markers to discriminate among tef genotypes. Cluster, principal coordinate and structure analyses grouped the 98 tef genotypes and six wild relatives into four distinct classes. The groupings showed no special pattern despite the different regions of origins for the accessions; however, the five wild relatives were grouped together. The analysis of molecular variance and fixation index showed low genetic differentiation and high gene flow between regions revealing that much of the variability was attributed to within populations variation. Generally, the present study showed that there is high genetic variability with unstructured genetic pattern among the studied tef genotypes which implies the vitality of conserved tef germplasms at Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute and the impact of the seed exchange system on tef breeding activities in Ethiopia.