Popularization of Improved Bread Wheat Varieties in the Southern Highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

Popularization of improved wheat varieties was proposed based on the objectives of enhancing the adoption behavior and participation of farmers to the newly introduced bread wheat varieties with their full package implementation. Two improved bread wheat varieties, Mekelle-3 and Mekelle-4, were popularized in three districts of the Southern Zone of Tigray Region particularly in E/Alaje, E/Mekhoni and Ofla districts. Mekelle-4 has about ETB 1302 net benefit (MRR=4.83) over the standard check in Ayba kebele, E/Alaje district while this variety had about ETB 1761 net benefit (MRR=5.64) over the standard check in Ofla district, Hashenge kebele. On the other hand, mekelle-3 had about ETB1789 net benefit (MRR=2.71) over the standard check in E/Mekhoni district of Mekhan kebelle which indicates that the variety had better profitability than the standard check. Farmers’ perception on the newly introduced varieties also revealed that these varieties were better and preferred by the farmers as shown from their varietal evaluation result. Therefore, the improved bread wheat varieties are economically viable and profitable than the previously introduced varieties (standard checks) in all the three districts.

Keywords: popularization, mekelle-3, Mekelle-4, standard check and net benefit