Genetic variability in soybean (Glycine max L.) for low soil phosphorus tolerance

Assessment of the genetic variability of soybean genotypes under low soil phosphorus (P) conditions provides an understanding of the genetic potential of the genotypes to improve the crop for low P tolerance. The study was designed objectively to estimate the extent of genetic variability of soybean genotypes for low P tolerance. Thirty six soybean genotypes that were introduced from various sources were grown in simple lattice design with three replications at three locations in Western Ethiopia characterized by P-deficient-acidic soils. It was revealed that weight of 100 seeds; plant height, root and biomass fresh weight exhibited relatively high heritability and genetic advance on low P soils. Principal component analysis also revealed that the first five principal components (PCs) accounted for more than 85% of the total variation. The first principal component that contributed for 37.7% of the total variation was influenced by root fresh weight, tap root length, root volume, fresh biomass weight, days to maturity and days to flowering in the order of importance; indicating the significance of these traits for low P tolerance screening. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into four clusters. Observation of large variation and relatively high heritability indicates that selection would be effective to improve soybean varieties for performance on P stressed soils and identify low P tolerant varieties that helps smallholder farmers optimize soybean productivity on P deficient soils

Impact of Technology Adoption through Dissemination Innovation Platforms (IP) on Yield, Food Security and Poverty: Evidence from Major Wheat Producing Regions of Ethiopia

Despite the high wheat production potential of Ethiopia, domestic production has been unable to match domestic demand, forcing the country to be a net wheat importer. Several development activities have aimed at increasing improved technological adoption to boost wheat yield. These have used linear and top-down approaches to disseminate different technologies. Recently, a new approach known as a technology dissemination innovation platform (IP) has been tried in four of the major wheat producing regions by the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) wheat project. Despite this, there has no empirical investigation of this approach. This paper details the result of investigating the impact of wheat technology adoption through a technology dissemination IP approach. It uses two period survey data collected from 506 sample households in 2012 and 2016. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measures were used to investigate the impact of the intervention on food security and a simple poverty scorecard approach to assess the impact on poverty. Both propensity score matching and difference-in-difference econometric models were utilized to investigate the impact on wheat yields. The results reveal that the intervention brought about a significant and positive impact on food security, poverty and wheat yield. Adapting an innovation platform approach would, therefore, have a positive impact on yield increment, food security and poverty in implementing projects that have national importance. In addition, it is clear the current widely used, linear, top-down extension approach should be replaced by an approach that follows a technology innovation platform and which would provide a positive impact in these areas

Phenotypic diversity for symbio-agronomic characters in Ethiopian chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm accessions

Breeding chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars combining desirable symbiotic and agronomic characters has both economic and ecological significance. An experiment was conducted at Ambo and Ginchi, Ethiopia, in 2009/10 to characterize and evaluate 155 genotypes of chickpea for symbiotic and agronomic performance. A randomized complete block design with four replications and the difference technique, with a genetically non-nodulating chickpea genotype as a reference crop were employed to estimate the amount of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Data analysis of 32 agronomic and symbiotic characters showed significant differences among the genotypes for all traits under study. Trait-based cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into six different classes. Standardized Mahalanobis D2 statistics showed significant genetic distances between all clusters constituted local landraces and introduced genotypes. This indicated that there were distinct multivariate differences between landraces and introduced genotypes. No clear interrelationship was observed between the geographic origins of the landraces and the pattern of genetic diversity, as there were accessions from the same source of origin that fell into different clusters and vice versa. Different symbiotic and agronomic characters had different contribution to the total differences among the populations. Those characters that contributed more to the total differentiation of the populations and genotypes into the different clusters should be exploited in future breeding.Keywords: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum), cluster analysis, genetic diversity, germplasm, symbiotic nitrogen fixatio

Phenotypic Diversity in Ethiopian Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Germplasm Accessions for Phosphorus Uptake and Use Efficiency

Ethiopia is known as the secondary center of diversity for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Plant breeders primarily interested in utilizing the available  germplasm for improving phosphorus uptake and use efficiency have no background information on the genetic diversity for this attribute. A field study  involving 155 chickpea genotypes was undertaken at Ambo and Ginchi, Ethiopia, in 2009/2010 to characterize the genotypes for nutrient uptake and use  efficiencies. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into five clusters in the absence and six clusters in the presence of phosphorus. The higher number  of clusters when the crop was grown with phosphorus may be a manifestation of more genetic diversity due to the application of phosphorus. The  Mahalanobis’s D2 statistics mostly showed significant genetic distances between clusters constituted local landraces on the one hand and introduced  genotypes on the other. This indicated that there were distinct multivariate differences between landraces and introduced genotypes. No clear  interrelationship was observed between the origins of the landraces within Ethiopia and the pattern of genetic diversity. Different characters had  different contribution to the total differentiation of the populations in all the cases. The result of this study suggests existence of adequate genetic  diversity for attributes of phosphorus uptake and use efficiency in these chickpea genotypes, which should be exploited in future breeding.&nbsp

Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers on the Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) at Nedjo, West Wollega, Ethiopia

This experiment was conducted to determine the optimum levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer formaize production; and to see the interaction between different levels of N and P fertilizer on the growth andperformance of maize (Zea mays L.) BH-660 variety at Nedjo. The experiment had two factor: 5 levels of N (0,46, 92, 138, and 184 kg ha-1) and 5 levels of P (0, 23, 46, 69 and 92 kg ha-1) arranged in Randomized CompleteBlock Design (RCBD) with three replications. The sources of N and P were urea (46% N) and triple superphosphate (TSP) (46% P2O5), respectively. The main effects of N and P brought significant effect on thousandgrain weight. The interactions of N and P also significantly affected grain, and biomass yield; and harvest index.The highest grain yield (5497.5 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (16521 kg ha-1) were recorded at the highest rates ofN/P (184/92 kg ha-1).Key words: nitrogen, phosphorus, maize NP interaction, Nedjo

Effects of Varieties and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Yield and Yield Components of Maize on Farmers Field in Mid Altitude Areas of Western Ethiopia

Yield of maize hybrids could be low when grown below optimum management practices. Use of improved varieties and optimum nitrogen fertilizer application practices are unlocking the high yielding potential of hybrids maize. With these in view, a field experiment was executed on farmers’ field to determine the effect of varieties and nitrogen fertilizer rate on yield and yield components of maize in two cropping seasons. It is laid out with randomized complete block design in factorial arrangement with three replications. Five maize varieties (BH-540, BH-543, BH-661, BH-660, and BH-140) as main factor and two levels of nitrogen (55 and 110 Kg N ha−1) as subfactor were used with one maize variety (BH-543) without fertilizer as control. Leaf area and leaf area index of maize varieties were significantly affected by application of nitrogen fertilizer rates. Interaction of maize varieties with nitrogen fertilizer rates significantly affected all yield and yield components of maize. Application of half and full recommended nitrogen fertilizer produced mean grain yield advantages of 31 and 41% over control. Therefore, application of half and full recommended nitrogen fertilizer for improved maize varieties has significantly improved grain yield and recommended for maize production in midaltitude area of western Ethiopia

Impact of Technology Adoption through Dissemination Innovation Platforms (IP) on Yield, Food Security and Poverty: Evidence from Major Wheat Producing Regions of Ethiopia

Despite the high wheat production potential of Ethiopia, domestic production has been unable to match domestic demand, forcing the country to be a net wheat importer. Several development activities have aimed at increasing improved technological adoption to boost wheat yield. These have used linear and top-down approaches to disseminate different technologies. Recently, a new approach known as a technology dissemination innovation platform (IP) has been tried in four of the major wheat producing regions by the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) wheat project. Despite this, there has no empirical investigation of this approach. This paper details the result of investigating the impact of wheat technology adoption through a technology dissemination IP approach. It uses two period survey data collected from 506 sample households in 2012 and 2016. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measures were used to investigate the impact of the intervention on food security and a simple poverty scorecard approach to assess the impact on poverty. Both propensity score matching and difference-in-difference econometric models were utilized to investigate the impact on wheat yields. The results reveal that the intervention brought about a significant and positive impact on food security, poverty and wheat yield. Adapting an innovation platform approach would, therefore, have a positive impact on yield increment, food security and poverty in implementing projects that have national importance. In addition, it is clear the current widely used, linear, top-down extension approach should be replaced by an approach that follows a technology innovation platform and which would provide a positive impact in these areas

Impact of Technology Adoption through Dissemination Innovation Platforms (IP) on Yield, Food Security and Poverty: Evidence from Major Wheat Producing Regions of Ethiopia

Despite the high wheat production potential of Ethiopia, domestic production has been unable to match domestic demand, forcing the country to be a net wheat importer. Several development activities have aimed at increasing improved technological adoption to boost wheat yield. These have used linear and top-down approaches to disseminate different technologies. Recently, a new approach known as a technology dissemination innovation platform (IP) has been tried in four of the major wheat producing regions by the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) wheat project. Despite this, there has no empirical investigation of this approach. This paper details the result of investigating the impact of wheat technology adoption through a technology dissemination IP approach. It uses two period survey data collected from 506 sample households in 2012 and 2016. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measures were used to investigate the impact of the intervention on food security and a simple poverty scorecard approach to assess the impact on poverty. Both propensity score matching and difference-in-difference econometric models were utilized to investigate the impact on wheat yields. The results reveal that the intervention brought about a significant and positive impact on food security, poverty and wheat yield. Adapting an innovation platform approach would, therefore, have a positive impact on yield increment, food security and poverty in implementing projects that have national importance. In addition, it is clear the current widely used, linear, top-down extension approach should be replaced by an approach that follows a technology innovation platform and which would provide a positive impact in these areas

Impact of Technology Adoption through Dissemination Innovation Platforms (IP) on Yield, Food Security and Poverty: Evidence from Major Wheat Producing Regions of Ethiopia

Despite the high wheat production potential of Ethiopia, domestic production has been unable to match domestic demand, forcing the country to be a net wheat importer. Several development activities have aimed at increasing improved technological adoption to boost wheat yield. These have used linear and top-down approaches to disseminate different technologies. Recently, a new approach known as a technology dissemination innovation platform (IP) has been tried in four of the major wheat producing regions by the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) wheat project. Despite this, there has no empirical investigation of this approach. This paper details the result of investigating the impact of wheat technology adoption through a technology dissemination IP approach. It uses two period survey data collected from 506 sample households in 2012 and 2016. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) measures were used to investigate the impact of the intervention on food security and a simple poverty scorecard approach to assess the impact on poverty. Both propensity score matching and difference-in-difference econometric models were utilized to investigate the impact on wheat yields. The results reveal that the intervention brought about a significant and positive impact on food security, poverty and wheat yield. Adapting an innovation platform approach would, therefore, have a positive impact on yield increment, food security and poverty in implementing projects that have national importance. In addition, it is clear the current widely used, linear, top-down extension approach should be replaced by an approach that follows a technology innovation platform and which would provide a positive impact in these areas