Participatory Variety Selection of Improved Bread Wheat Varieties for High Land Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

So far many improved bread wheat varieties have been tested for their adaptability and recommended for high land agro-ecologies of Guji Zone. However, all of these varieties were not evaluated by participating the intended users during the adaptability study. As a result, the recommended varieties were not get acceptance by the farmers as such in most cases. Because, the varieties were not selected according to the user's desires. Therefore, study was conducted in 2015 cropping season at two high land districts of Guji Zone(Bore and Ana Sora) to select and recommend high yielding, early maturing and diseases resistant improved bread wheat varieties through Participatory variety selection. Five improved bread wheat varieties with one local check were used as treatments. The treatments were arranged in randomized completed block design with three replications for mother trial and farmers were used as replication for baby trials. The analysed result of agronomic data indicates presence of significant variance among the tested varieties for most of the characters studied except days to heading and TSW. Varieties Senate, mandayo and Hidasie were highest yielding and relatively resistant to diseases than the local check. Farmers were also involved in selecting the varieties using their own criteria. Accordingly, two varieties( Senate and Hoggana) were selected by farmers. From the two ways studies, it's observed that there is combat result. Therefore, to conclude the result of the study, it's requisite to consider and accept the farmers decision instead of considering the trial finding. Thus, based on both ways finding varieties senate and Hoggana were recommended for the studied areas and similar agro-ecologies of Guji Zone.

Keywords: Participatory variety selection, Bread wheat, improved varieties