Participatory Evaluation and Selection of Improved Irish Potato Varieties at Daro Lebu and Oda Bultum Districts of Western Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tubersom L.) is one of the most important food crops in developed as well as developing countries. This activity was conducted during the 2013 main cropping season at Daro Lebu and Oda Bultum districts of West Hararghe Zone to identify and select among potato varieties that are adaptable to local conditions and accepted by farmers and consumers at large and to generate knowledge and information that can contribute for the seed value chain development. A total of four farmers were participated on the experiment. Gudane, Bubu, Toluma, Bete and Local check varieties were evaluated on 25m² and 100m² plots at Daro Lebu and Oda Bultum districts, respectively. Economic data (cost of input and revenue obtained), agronomic data and farmer feedback/preference were collected. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistic (mean and standard deviation) and graphs by SPSS software and qualitatively. The agronomic result shows that the average total yield harvested from Gudene and Bubu varieties were 21 ton/ha and 20.24 ton/ha, respectively. In addition participants of field day were also select those varieties based on criteria’s like disease reaction, tuber size, marketability, number of tubers and ways of giving tubers from one plant, color, perish ability, yield amount, sweetness and short time take during catering . Economically, Gudane and Bubu varieties was more beneficiary as compared to Bete, Toluma and Local variety, which were 83,500 Eth.birr and 77,420 Eth.birr, respectively. According to other agronomic data result shows that and farmer preference criteria like disease resistant, high yielder, larger tuber size, marketable, good color and high number of tuber and  others, Gudane and Bubu varieties were selected as compared to Toluma, Bete and Local varieties. Therefore, Gudane and Bubu varieties will recommend for further scale up/out for Oda Bultum and Daro Lebu districts and others area which is similar agro-ecology to Oda Baso and Jilbo kebeles.

Keywords: Participatory Variety Selection, Evaluation, Irish Potato, Varieties.