Africa RISING achievements with demonstration / on farm trials in Ethiopia

Solomon Gebreselassie, Gebrehiwot Biru, Abiyot Aragaw, Steffen Schulz and Britta Kowalski

International Potato Center (CIP)

Africa RISING Training Workshop on Innovation PlatformsAddis Ababa, 23-24 January 2014

Africa RISING – Partners for demonstration trialsAmhara RegionDebre Birhan UniversityDebre Birhan Agricultural Research CentreBasona Worana Woreda Office of AgricultureOromiya RegionSinana Agricultural Research CentreMedawolabu UniversitySinana Woreda Livestock AgencySinana Woreda Office of AgricultureSNNP RegionAreka Agricultural Research CentreLemo Woreda Agricultural OfficeHadiya Zone Agricultural OfficeWorabe Agricultural Research CentreWachamo UniversityTigray RegionTigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)Alamata Agricultural Research CentreMekelle UniversityEndamehoni Woreda Office of Agriculture

Africa RISING –demonstration trials• Crops: Potato, Wheat, Faba bean: 3 farmers percrop per kebele

• Sites: Goshe Bado and Gudo Beret kebele, Basona Wora

na , Amhara

Upper Gana and Jewe, Lemo, SNNPR

Ilu Sanbitu and Selka, Sinana, SNNPR

Emba-Hasti and Tsibet, Endamekoni, Tigray

• Participants:

Men’s group

Women's group

Youth group

Evaluations

•Mid season field day

• End season field day

Participatory evaluations Farmers Selection Criteria Midseason and end season field Evaluation

MenWomen Youth

No. Goshe Bado (Basona Worana , Amhara)1. Resistance to diseases Crop stand (erect) Resistance to diseases2. Early maturity Resistance to diseases Number of stems3. Crop stand (erect) Early maturity Adaptation to the area4. Adaptation to the area Number of stems Crop stand (erect)1. Total yield Total yield Total yield 2. Tuber size Taste Tuber size3. Number of small sized tubers Tuber size Appearance 4. Taste Shape 5. Appearance Taste

Gudo Beret Kebele (Basona Worana, Amhara)

1. Resistance to diseases Crop stand (erect) Resistance to diseases2. Early maturity Resistance to diseases Number of stems3. Crop stand (erect) Early maturity Adaptation to the area4. Adaptation to the area Number of stems Crop stand (erect)1. Total tuber number Total tuber number2. Total yield Total yield3. Tuber size Tuber size4. Appearance Appearance 5. Taste Taste

Potato- Mid season field evaluationThe main objectives of the mid-season evaluation were to: • demonstrate growth of each potato variety under local conditions• evaluate each potato variety using farmer selection criteria. • compare and rank the potato varieties against farmers’ selection criteria

No. Farmers selectionCriteria

Variety 1= Gudene Variety 2= Gera Variety 3= Shenkola1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1. Resistance to diseases 12 - - - - 24 - - - - - 48

2. Early maturity - - 12 32 12 - - - - - 36 -3. crop stand 12 - - - - - 36 - - - - 484. Adaptation to the area 12 - - - - 24 - - - - 36 -

Total 80 96 168 Rank 3rd 2nd 1st

Ranking of potato varieties by men group at Goshe Bado.1= Worst, 2= Moderate, 3= Good , 4= Best; Score of each variety was calculated by multiplying its value given by the number of peoples who voted (12)

Potato - End season field evaluation

- Farmer feedback: to avoid confusion the ranking values should only be 3 levels

No. Farmers selection Criteria

Variety 1= Shenkola Variety 2= Gera Variety 3= Gudene

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

1. Total yield - - 27 - 18 - 9 - -2. Taste of the variety - 2 18 - 8 15 3 10 -3. Size of the tuber - - 27 - 18 - 9 - - Total 74 59 31 Rank 1st 2nd 3rd

Ranking of potato varieties by women group at Goshe Bado.1= Poor, 2= Medium, 3= Good; Score of each variety was calculated by multiplying its value given by the number of peoples who voted (9)

The main objectives of the mid-season evaluation were to: • demonstrate the performance (yield and related parameters) of each potato variety • evaluate each potato variety using farmer selection criteria including taste• compare and rank the potato varieties against farmers’ selection criteria

Potato – End of Season Field day in Lemo

Potato - Results Farmers Selection Mid and End season field evaluation

No. Men Women Youth Mid-season End-season Mid-season End-season Mid-season End-season

Goshe Bado (Debre Birhan, Amhara)1. Shenkola Shenkola Shenkola Shenkola Shenkola Shenkola2. Gera Gera Gera Gera Gera Gera3. Gudene Gudene Gudene Gudene Gudene Gudene

Gudo Beret Kebele (Debre Birhan, Amhara)1. Shenkola Gera - - Shenkola Gera2. Gera Shenkola - - Gera Gudene3. Gudene Gudene - - Gudene Shenkola

Potato - Results

Variety TY (t ha-1) MY (t ha-1) UMY (t ha-1) TNT NMT % NUMT %

Shenkola 44 40 4 680000 67,3 32,7

Gera 30 27 3 825555 73,2 26,8

Gudene 36 30 6 836444 62,2 37,8

Yield and yield related parameters of each variety at Goshe Bado.

TY= Total yield, MY= Marketable yield, UMY= Unmarketable yield, TNT= Total number of tubers, NMT= Number of marketable tubers, NUMT= Number of unmarketable tubers and t ha -1= tone per hectare.

Variety TY (t ha-1) MY (t ha-1) UMY (t ha-1) TNT NMT NUMT

Shenkola 44 42 2 502222 77,0 23,0

Gera 48 46 2 557037 77,1 22,9

Gudene 32 27 6 779259 50,2 49,8

Yield and yield related parameters of each variety tested at Gudo Beret

Potato - Results

Jewe (SNNPR, Lemo)1. Gudene 3 sprays Gudene 3 sprays - -

2. Gudene 2 sprays Gudene 2 sprays

3. Gera Gera - -

Upper Gana (SNNPR, Lemo)

1. Gudene 3 sprays Gudene 3 sprays Gudene 3 sprays

2. Gudene 2 sprays Gudene 2 sprays and Gera

Gudene 2 sprays

3. Gera Gera

Farmers Selection Mid and End season field evaluation

No. Men Women Youth

Potato demonstration trials – Diffused Light Stores

DLS were constructed with farmers who participated in the potato demonstration trials

Farmers’ feedback on potato field demonstrations in Amhara

- Among the three varieties tested, Gudene was most affected by late blight

- The field day participant farmers appreciate the effort made by the Africa RISING project, particularly demonstration of new varieties that were not known in the area. Most of the farmers had been dependent on only on two varieties (Gera & Gorebella) for long time. They observed decrease of yield over time.

- Farmers reflect that the lessons learn from the demonstration plots will help them to adopt the technology next season. They appreciated the experience they have acquired and the confidence they built through field day and variety selection exercise.

- Some farmers reported that they used to grow potato without fertilizer, obtaining only low yields. They recognized the importance of applying fertilizer.

Farmers’ feedback on wheat field demonstrations in Amhara

- Some farmers were interested to get the wheat varieties, especially cv. Tsehay and asked how they can find the seed.

- Some suggested the need for practical support from experts on row planting during planting time.

- Farmers also suggested future introduction of bread wheat varieties which have double advantage use as food and feed.

Farmers’ feedback on faba bean field demonstrations in Amhara

- infestation with unknown disease. Application of fungicides couldn’t protect the crop from damage. (viral?)

- Some of the farmers noted that row planting used in faba bean demonstration is very labor intensive. They pointed the need for a row planter.

- Some farmers urge if the project can do some work on field pea.

Research questions

Potato- will combining B3 late blight tolerance and spray regime reduce farmers’ risk sufficiently for them to adopt technology?

Wheat- Does the increase in labour for row planting increase yield proportionally?

Faba bean- Identify disease affecting faba bean in the field demonstrations- Does the increase in labour for row planting increase yield proportionally?

Enset- Which farmers’ practices further bacterial wilt spread in Enset cultures?- To what extent can potato replace Enset in rural communities?

Project partners in Ethiopia

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation

africa-rising.net