Gender Role Study in Participatory Variety Selection of Bread Wheat in Potential Growing Areas of Arsi in Ethiopia

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out on three locations Dera, Iteya and Bekoji in Arsi zone of Ethiopia for two years (2012 & 2013) to study gender role in variety selection. Individual farmers and breeders independently carried out visual selection of bread wheat varieties on field condition at maturity stage at each locations. Twenty one released bread wheat varieties were taken and planted for the study. Breeders and Twenty wheat producing farmers selected from each locations in which ten of them were women farmers and ten were men farmers carried out the variety selection for specific agro ecologies based on their own selection criteria. According to the result of this study both male and female farmers are equally important to select best wheat variety for their own agro ecology. Out of the first ten selected wheat varieties for each location more than half of them are selected both by male and female farmers in common. In other case, both male and female farmers were specific on some varieties, that means there was a variety which is only selected either by male or by female farmers. This may be related to difference in roles and responsibilities of men and women in a given house hold. Similarly there are also some varieties which are selected only by breeders in each locations in which neither male nor female farmers are selecting those varieties. In conclusion, besides breeders selection, considering  the preference of both male and female farmers equally and inclusion of quality taste in our variety selection & releasing procedure may improve the adoption rate of  Bread wheat varieties. Not only for variety selection but also in all of our research work without considering gender role, our research results may be concluded wrongly and we cannot achieve sustainable agricultural development.

Keywords: Gender role, participatory variety selection, Bread wheat, Improved variety

DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/63-03

Publication date: January 31^st 2021