Promotion of Improved Sorghum Technologies through Large-Scale Demonstration in Gololcha Woreda, Arsi Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The study was carried out to improve farmers’ awareness, enhance the adoption of full package sorghum production technologies. The large-scale demonstration was implemented at Gololcha woreda of Arsi zone for one year (2019/2020) using Melkam variety. The demonstration was implemented in three kebeles and a total of 100 hectares of land was covered by participating 117 household heads (farmers) out of which 12 of them were women-headed. In the demonstration farmers contributed a land size of 0.25 hectares (the minimum) and 2 hectares of land (maximum). Totally, from the demonstration 4030 quintals of sorghum were harvested with 42.3 quintals per hectare average productivity. The yield obtained by farmers practices was 18.23 q·ha-1 which is lower as compared to the average yield obtained by large scale demonstration. The technology gap (TG) was 15.70 q·ha-1 which indicated that technologies have not been adopted. Extension gap was 24.07 q·ha-1 and this result indicated that the extension approach should be more strengthened. It has been ascertained that “Melkam” variety is the best fitted variety and promotion of improved sorghum technologies via large scale demonstration has shown a considerable yield increment as compared to farmers practices. According to the farmers’ trait preference, Melkam variety was preferred by farmers because of its high yielding, consumption quality, early maturity, palatability, and drought-tolerant traits respectively. For sustainable production of improved sorghum technologies, the seed system should be taken into consideration to deliver the seed supply for the entire sorghum producers.

Distinguishing of Stable Genotypes and Mega Environment for Grain Yield Performance of Sorghum [<i>Sorghum bicolor</i>(L.) Moench] Genotypes Using Spatial Analysis

Sorghum is a staple food crop in Ethiopia and its production is mainly constrained by drought, other environmental factors, and the use of low-yielding, local sorghum varieties. To improve sorghum productivity, it is crucial to provide farmers with high yielding, stable sorghum cultivars that are tolerant to drought and other constraints. The stable performance of sorghum varieties in a growing region is critical to obtain a high and stable yield. In the 2012-2014 crop year, 24 genotypes, including standard controls, were evaluated at the national variety trial stage over six main dry lowland sorghum growing sites and two years made 7 environments to evaluate their performance, stability and to quantify Genotype by Environment Interaction (GEI) across moisture stress sorghum growing areas of Ethiopia. Spatial modeling has been used to estimate predicted mean (BLUPs) results and Performance and estimation of environmental correlation, heritability, GEI, and other parameters using the ASReml3-R analysis package. The predicted mean yield of the test genotypes across the environment ranged from 3.45 to 1.56 t·ha-1. Based on the result genotype G13, it could be further promoted because of its yield advantage and other important attributes over the standard checks, but it is the least stable. Based on the analyzed result, two mega environments were formed and Environment 1 (E1) is identified as an ideal environment among the testing environments.

Multi-Environment Evaluation and Genotype ×Environment Interaction Analysis of Sorghum [<i>Sorghum bicolor</i>(L.) Moench] Genotypes in Highland Areas of Ethiopia

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a high-yielding, nutrient-use efficient, and drought tolerant crop that can be cultivated on over 80 per cent of the world’s agricultural land. However, a number of biotic and abiotic factors are limiting grain yield increase. Diseases (leaf and grain) are considered as one of the major biotic factors hindering sorghum productivity in the highland and intermediate altitude sorghum growing areas of Ethiopia. In addition, the yield performance of crop varieties is highly influenced by genotype × environment (G × E) interaction which is the major focus of researchers while generating improved varieties. In Ethiopia, high yielding and stable varieties that withstand biotic stress in the highland areas are limited. In line with this, the yield performance of 21 sorghum genotypes and one standard check were evaluated across 14 environments with the objectives of estimating magnitude G × E interaction for grain yield and to identify high yielder and stable genotypes across environments. The experiment was laid out using Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications in all environments. The combined analysis of variance across environments revealed highly significant differences among environments, genotypes and G × E interactions of grain yield suggesting further analysis of the G × E interaction. The results of the combined AMMI analysis of variance indicated that the total variation in grain yield was attributed to environments effects 71.21%, genotypes effects 4.52% and G × E interactions effects 24.27% indicating the major sources of variation. Genotypes 2006AN7010 and 2006AN7011 were high yielder and they were stable across environments and one variety has been released for commercial production and can be used as parental lines for genetic improvement in the sorghum improvement program. In general, this research study revealed the importance of evaluating sorghum genotypes for their yield and stability across diverse highland areas of Ethiopia before releasing for commercial production.