The Contribution of Farmers’ Breeders in Meeting Food Security: The Case of Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in Ethiopia (original) (raw)
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Economic Botany, 1999
We quantitatively examined the relationships between Sorghum landrace diversity at the field level and environmental factors and farmers' selection practices in north Shewa and south Welo regions of Ethiopia. Surveys were conducted on 260 randomly selected farmers' fields. The altitude and size of each field were recorded. Sorghum plants at 5 m intervals along transect lines spaced 10 m apart over each field were identified by the farmers and the owner of each field was asked why she~he decided to grow each plant. Soil samples were collected from all of the fields and analyzed for pH, organic content, and sand, silt and clay content. Simple and polynomial regressions and multiple regression analyses showed that Sorghum landrace diversity at the field level had significant relationships with the number of selection criteria used by the farmers, field altitude, field size, pH and clay content. As the number of selection criteria increased, landrace diversity in the fields increased. This relationship was not a result of the correlation between selection criteria and the environmental factors, because it was significant after statistically correcting for the effects of the environmental variables. This study quantitatively confirms the role of traditional farmers in the maintenance of sorghum landrace diversity in north Shewa and south Welo regions of Ethiopia. Wir untersuchten quantitative Zusammenhiinge zwischen der Diversitiit yon Sorghum (Anzahl der Getreidevariationen) im Feld sowie Umweltfaktoren und Auswahlkriterien yon Farmern im nbrdlichen Shewa und im siidlichen Welo in Athiopien. Die Untersuchung wurde an einer Stichprobe von 260 Feldern durchgefiihrt. Fiir jedes Feld wurden HOhenlage und GrOte erfafit. Sorghum Pflanzen wurden an den Schnittpunkten eines 5 • 10 Meter Rasters iiber jedes Feld yon Farmern identifiziert und jeder Eigentiimer wurde nach dem Grund des Anbaus der Pflanze befragt. Wir entnahmen Bodenproben yon jedem Feld, welche auf PH Wert, Gehalt yon organischem Material, Sand, Schlick und Lehm analysiert wurden. Einfache, polynomische und mehrfache Regressionsanalysen zeigten signifikante Beziehungen zwischen der Diversitiit yon Sorghum und der Anzahl yon Auswahlkriterien der Farmer H6henlage, Feldgr6fle, PH und Lehmgehalt. Mit Zunahme der Auswahlkriterien erh6hte sich die Diversitiit yon Sorghum im Feld. Dieser signifikante Zusammenhang war nicht das Ergebnis der Korrelation zwischen den Auswahlkriterien und Umweltfaktoren, da wir vorher den Effekt der Umweltfaktoren ausgeglichen hatten. Diese Studie quantifiziert die Bedeutung traditioneller Farmer fiir die Diversitiit yon Sorghum im n6rdlichen Shewa und im siidlichen Welo in Athiopien.
2010
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the staple crop of Burkina Faso in West Africa where guinea race landraces are grown in low-input cropping systems. National and international breeding programs have had little success in disseminating modern varieties based on high yield potential caudatum or kafir race breeding materials, mostly introduced from other countries. It has been argued that the breeding objectives were not sufficiently oriented towards the farmers' needs and preferences, and that they did not target the prevailing growing conditions of Burkina Faso. The objectives of the present article are (i) to identify and examine farmers' selection criteria for sorghum varieties in the Centre-West of Burkina Faso, (ii) to compare these criteria with the breeder's agronomic observations and standard practices, and (iii) to show how the criteria of both farmers and breeders can be effectively integrated into the early stages of a pedigree breeding program. These objectives take into consideration gender differentiation, consistency of selection criteria and the interrelationship of measured quantitative traits, as well as the impact of these traits and criteria on the final selection. The present paper is based on a pedigree breeding program that was carried out over three years (2001-2003) in two villages of Burkina Faso. Options for integrating farmers' selection expertise with that of the breeders' were examined. Participatory selection was initiated with 53 F3/F4 progenies in field trials managed by farmers using rating and voting exercises. The breeders measured and analysed the agronomic data while the farmers evaluated a large number of progenies by means of their three most important selection criteria and a general appreciation. Farmers' initial choices remained consistent in the selection exercises (voting) performed in subsequent years. The farmers' methods for defining traits turned out to be more multivariate than the breeders' formal understanding of these same traits. This was especially so for the criteria of grain quality, earliness, and productivity for which the farmers' definition encompasses factors such as flour yield and stability across environments. However, rating results between farmer groups were variable. A disagreement between female and male ratings was especially found for the grain quality traits. The results clearly show that farmers can effectively select for traits on the basis of progeny and single plants while pursuing specific agronomic aims such as adaption. Subsequent yield improvement schemes will thus be more efficient in terms of selection intensity related to grain yield. The study is showing the way for breeders to adjust their selection criteria to suit the basic needs of small-scale farmer in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
Yield and yield stability of four population types of grain sorghum in a semi-arid area of Kenya
2000
may be favored by heterozygosity, and populational buffering by heterogeneity in as much as the different Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is widely grown in semigenotypes present in the population are specifically arid tropics where local farmers depend on the adaptability of their rainfed crops to unpredictable drought and other stress factors. To adapted to different environmental conditions (Bradinvestigate the effects of heterozygosity and heterogeneity on the shaw, 1965; Reich and Atkins, 1970; Schnell and Becker, adaptability of grain sorghum, two sets of material, each containing 1986). A concomitant question plant breeders are facing 12 parent lines, six single-cross hybrids, six two-component blends of is, what type of genetic structure (i.e., degree of heteroparent lines, and six two-component hybrid blends were grown in zygosity and heterogeneity) is most desirable-or neceseight macro-environments in the semi-arid Makueni District of Kenya, sary-to obtain improved, stable cultivars. Sorghum, during 1991 through 1993. Environmental means for grain yield ranged because of the availability of nuclear and cytoplasmicfrom 584 to 47 g m Ϫ2. In all environments, hybrids outyielded their genic male sterility, offers a wide range of possible geparent lines, with a mean relative hybrid superiority of 54%. Blending netic structures to the breeder, including homozygous effects were non-significant. Combined analyses of variance were computed with logarithmically transformed data. Entry ϫ environment lines, homogeneous or heterogeneous hybrids, as well interaction effects were more important than genetic effects. Lines as homo-or heterozygous, heterogeneous populations in pure stand contributed most to the total entry ϫ environment or synthetic cultivars. interaction variance. Wide ranges were found within all four groups Estimates of average midparent heterosis for grain for stability parameters derived from regression analysis. On average, yield in sorghum range from 13 to 88%. Lower values hybrids in pure stand had most favorable values. Pattern analysis were usually obtained with crosses of adapted parent (classification and ordination techniques) was applied to the environlines (Kambal and Webster, 1966; Kirby and Atkins, ment-standardized matrix of entry means from the individual environ-1968; Reich and Atkins, 1970; Liang et al., 1972; Patanoments. A one-way classification clearly distinguished homozygous thai and Atkins, 1974), while high estimates were most from heterozygous entries. Heterogeneous entries were not consistently grouped together. Performance plots for different entry groups often reported from studies which involved exotic germshowed various patterns of adaptation and illustrated the superiority plasm (Niehaus and Pickett, 1966; Jowett, 1972; Laosuof heterozygous entries. The biplot from ordination underlined the wan and Atkins, 1977), or which were conducted under importance of entry ϫ type-of-drought-stress interaction. Principal environmental stress conditions (Jowett, 1972; Kapran Components 1 and 2 were highly correlated with entries' mean yield et al., 1997). and regression coefficient, respectively. Breeding heterozygous culti-Five studies were found to deal with genotype mixvars could contribute to increased grain yields and improved yielding tures in sorghum. In a trial over 5 yr at one moderate stability of sorghum in the target area of Kenya. to high-yielding location in Kansas, Ross (1965) obtained 1% superiority of hybrid blends over the mean of their pure stands. The hybrids involved in this study BP 47,
Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology
Sorghum is one of the major staple crops grown in the poorest and most food-insecure regions of Ethiopia. Sorghum production is predominantly based on local seeds with limited use of commercial fertilizer or other chemicals. This study is therefore aimed to demonstrate the improved sorghum variety with its improved management practices and to assess farmers’ and extension workers’ reactions. The newly released variety of Beletew was evaluated with the variety of Melkam. The experiments were implemented using a simple plot design with farmers’ fields as a replicate. The result revealed that in both locations, the studied varieties showed nonsignificant variation in grain yield. Besides, all the participant farmers were agreed that the variety Beletew had compacted panicle, a larger number of spikes per panicle, stayed green character and yellow seed color. Similarly, about 78.3% and 65.6% of the participant farmers from Efratana gidim and Ensaro Districts respectively agreed that the...
African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2021
Sorghum is an important crop in Ethiopia. However, its productivity is low owing to lack of farmer-preferred and stable improved varieties. To identify suitable cultivars, multi-environment evaluation of sorghum genotypes was carried out at four locations for two years. The result of AMMI ANOVA showed that genotype (G), environment (E) and genotype-environment interaction (G×E) significantly (P<0.01) affected sorghum grain yield. The G×E term was partitioned into two significant Interaction Principal Component Axes; where they captured 65.89% of the G×E variance. Genotypes G9, G10 and G12 are highly affected by environmental changes as they had higher G×E. Genotypes G1, G7, G2, G5, G11 and G8 had relatively low G×E, indicating lower influence of the environments on their performance. The GGE analysis showed that the first two PCAs explained 75.11% of the GGE variance. Genotypes G8 and G3 were the highest-yielding genotypes and significantly out yielded the checks. Genotypes G1, G12, G7 and G8 were stable genotypes. G8 was the most desirable genotype followed by G3, G7 and G6. G8 (PGRC/E#222878 × KAT-369-1) was officially released and given a local name called Raya. This white seeded variety is preferred by farmers for various food preparations (recipes), and it commands a premium price at the market. It can give high and stable yield in the unstable environmental conditions of Northeast Ethiopia. If used in its appropriate niche, the variety can contribute to the increase of sorghum productivity, and income of the cultivators.
Journal of Horticulture and Forestry, 2018
This experiment was conducted in Daro Lebu and Boke districts of West Harerghe Zone with the objectives of evaluating lowland sorghum varieties on farmer's field and creating linkage and networking among stakeholders. Three kebeles were selected purposively based on sorghum production potential; two kebeles from Daro Lebu and one kebele from Boke district. Five farmers and one farmer training center participated depending on their interest to the technology, managing the experiment, having appropriate land for the experiment and taking the risk at the time of failures. Two improved varieties namely, Ethiopian Sorghum Hybrid-1 and Chare with local checks were demonstrated and evaluated. The experiment was demonstrated on 100 m 2 demonstration plots, and DAP 100 kg/ha-with Urea (50 kg at the time of sowing and at growing stage) were applied to one demonstration plot with a seed rate of 10 kg/ha. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through observation, group discussion on field day and data recording sheet. Descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and independent t-test were used to analyze collected data. Results indicated that Ethiopian Sorghum Hybrid-1 was ranked first in terms of yield, drought tolerant, biomass, early maturity, and seed colour and disease resistance. Independent t-test revealed that mean comparison of Ethiopian Sorghum Hybrid-1 and Chare along with local check were statically significant at 5% significant level on mean yield performance and had more economic advantage than local variety at the study area. Therefore, Ethiopian Sorghum Hybrid-1 and Chare varieties are recommended for further popularization and scaling up in study area and similar agro ecology.
African Journal of Agricultural Research, 2020
In Ethiopia, drought usually occur due to delay in onset, dry spell after sowing, drought during critical crop stage (flowering and grain filling stage) and too early cessation of rainfall. These situations can be addressed by developing improved sorghum varieties which are resistance to drought. Developments of sorghum varieties resistant to drought and producing better grain yield while addressing the plant biomass requirement is one of the strategies in the sorghum breeding program in dry lowland environment. A total of 90 early maturing sorghum genotypes were evaluated along with two standard check varieties to estimate the grain yield, plant height, days to flowering, days to maturity and overall agronomic aspects and stability of performance across the test environments. The trial was conducted using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in row and column arrangement. Linear mixed model has been used to predict and identify stable and superior varieties across the test environment. Correlations of the trials range from positive +1 to-1 where positive correlation is an indication of similarity among the testing environments while negative correlation is an indication of non-similarity among testing environments. Moreover, using the biplot it was observed that the stability and correlation among testing site where the angle between the two lines measure the strength of correlation. Improvement in heritability has been obtained due to spatial variation using advanced statistical analysis methods without any additional cost. Three genotypes exhibited better yield advantage, higher plant biomass and overall plant aspect including drought tolerance. In addition, these genotypes were preferred by farmers in their overall agronomic desirability (drought tolerance, earliness, head exertion and compactness, grain size and shape and threshability. Also, the national variety releasing committed has evaluated the variety verification trial both on station and farmers' field condition in 2018/2019 and they decided the release of the candidate variety 14MWLSDT7114 (2005MI5060/E-36-1) for commercial production in dry lowland environment.
International Journal of …, 2009
Ethiopia is cited as one of the centres of sorghum diversity. In order to assess the on-farm genetic resources management of sorghum various research methodologies were employed. These were focus group interviews with 360 farmers, key informant interviews with 60 farmers and development agents and semi-structured interviews with 250 farmers. Besides, diversity fair was done with over 1200 farmers. For quantifying on-farm diversity, direct on-farm monitoring and participation with 120 farmers were made. Quantification of varietal diversity per farm was counted by a participatory zigzag sampling in the diagonal direction of the plot with the farmer and all encountered varieties were counted. Soil samples were taken from 120 farms and were subjected to analyses of soil pH, P, available nitrogen, organic matter and exchangeable potassium. Altitude and other related climatic data were collected. The number of varieties conserved by farmers ranged from one to twenty per farm and this is affected by socioeconomic and biophysical factors. The mean numbers of 8.3 and 6.3 varieties were grown by Oromo and Amhara farmers respectively. The minimum and maximum range did not vary for both ethnic groups. There was no significant difference in the number of varieties held by various wealth groups. With respect to farm size as explained by the quadratic model, it significantly accounted and predicted for the variation in the number of varieties. The role of soil pH, P, available nitrogen, organic matter, and exchangeable potassium on-farm genetic diversity is described. P was a positive limiting factor for varietal diversity. As to the effect of crop ecology, there were higher number of varieties in the intermediate altitudes than in the lowland and highland. Both the quadratic and linear equation expressed that distance from the house and town and showed non-significant relationship to the number of varieties planted per farm. Varietal mixture is one of the strategies used by the farmers for improved on-farm genetic diversity management. Farmers' underlying principles for conserving genetic diversity is described. Three models developed, namely; Bioecogeographic genetic diversity model, Farmer induced genetic diversity model and Farmer-cum-bioecogeographic genetic diversity model are explaining the processes shaping on-farm genetic diversity of sorghum in Ethiopia.
Advances in Crop Science and Technology, 2015
On farm participatory field experiment was conducted in 2013 cropping season in districts located in eastern Ethiopia to evaluate effect of different sorghum crop management packages on grain and fodder yield of improved variety Teshale and local check Elmijam. Six different sorghum management alternatives along with agro-pastoralist indigenous management practice were evaluated in six randomly selected agro-pastoralist fields in Ethiopian Somali province Fafen administrative Zone. The result reviled that compared to agro pastoralist indigenous practices on both varieties improved production practice had significantly increased fodder and grain yield of sorghum by 60- 70%. The result also showed significant varietal differences between improved variety Teshsale and the local check Elimjema in all aspects. Therefore based on agropastoralist interest and rating production packages composed of improved sorghum and local check variety, tide-ridge planting, fertilizer (urea and DAP application at 50 kg/ha and 100 kg/ha), hand weeding once at 45 days after emergence and with recommended seed rate 10 kg/ha were selected as best management package because it balanced both grain and fodder yield with the production costs.
Sorghum in the 21st Century: Food – Fodder – Feed – Fuel for a Rapidly Changing World, 2020
Crop residues form an important feed resource in smallholder mixed livestock systems of Asia and Africa. Targeted improvement of crop residue fodder value by plant breeding is a feasible option to upgrade the quality of crop residue as crop residue management technologies were not adopted in these regions. Differential pricing of sorghum stover in fodder markets of India could be correlated to their quality in terms of digestibility when tested in laboratory. Premium type of sorghum stover possessed higher digestibility. The analyses of new sorghum cultivars developed in Indian sorghum improvement programme revealed that stover yields cannot be predicted based on grain yield. No trade-offs between