Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) for Yield and Yield Components in Highlands of Guji, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Lentil is one of the important field crops in mid to highland agro-ecology of Ethiopia. Several improved lentil varieties has been released by Agricultural Research Centers and Universities for mid to highland Agro-ecologies. However, farmers depend on few low yield local varieties or even no get the chance to use this also even though the potential are there. Participatory variety selection was initiated to evaluate the performance of alternative improved lentil varieties and select better varieties for further seed production. The study was conducted at Bore Agricultural Research Center in highland of Guji Zone at three selected farmers’ fields during 2016 main cropping season. Four improved varieties were evaluated under farmers’ participatory varietal selection. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with all three replications on Bore Agricultural Research Center main station as mother and one replication each at three other farmers’ fields as baby trials was used. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed among varieties in days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of pods per plant, and grain yield per hectare. Grain yield ranged from 1944 kgha^-1 to 1093 kgha^-1 with grand mean 1556 kgha^-1, Alemaya (1944 kgha^-1), Ada’a (1861 kgha^-1) and Derash (1304 kgha^-1) were top yielding varieties. Farmers’ ranked the varieties that performed well under their circumstances. Based on farmer’s evaluation and selection plus researchers’ recommendations, Alemaya and Derash varieties were found promising under Bore highlands.

Keywords: Highland of Guji, Lentil, Participatory, Variety Selection