article · Cogent Food & Agriculture
Sorghum is a vital drought-tolerant cereal crop in the moisture-deficient lowland regions of north-eastern Ethiopia. To identify high-yielding varieties that also possess traits favoured by local farmers, eight released sorghum varieties were tested across four environments in Wag-Hemra and Lasta during the 2016 and 2017 main production seasons. Field trials used a randomised complete block design alongside genotype-by-environment statistical modelling and participatory variety selection. Grain yields varied considerably, ranging from 1,300 kilograms per hectare for the Dagim variety to 2,800 kilograms per hectare for Melkam, against an overall trial average of 2,100 kilograms per hectare. Statistical analysis confirmed that Melkam was both the highest yielding and the most stable variety across the tested environments. It was also ranked either first or second in farmer preference evaluations, supporting its wider adoption to boost agricultural productivity in dry lowland zones.
In dry lowland environments, selecting resilient, high-performing crop varieties is crucial for sustaining agricultural productivity. This study demonstrates how combining statistical yield stability evaluations with direct farmer preferences identifies sorghum varieties that can thrive in drought-prone areas, offering a clear route to help regional growers boost food supplies and household income.
This work evaluated already-released sorghum varieties, identifying the variety Melkam as an immediate, tested candidate for wider deployment and cultivation. Regional agricultural extension programmes, seed producers, and lowland smallholder farmers can directly utilise these findings. Because the evaluation relies on existing, released varieties proven in real-world field trials and participatory farmer appraisals, the pathway to practical adoption and scale-up is near-market and ready for immediate regional promotion.
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Sorghum is the most important cereal crop in moisture deficit areas of eastern ethiopia. It is widely distributed throughout Ethiopia and it is the most important cereal in the lowland areas because of its drought tolerance. Eight released sorghum varieties were evaluated in four environments in the Wag-Hemra and Lasta in the main production season for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). The objective of the trial was to identify high yielding sorghum varieties that possesse farmers preferred traits for production in both testing sites. The trial was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The GGE statistical model was used to analyze genotype by environment interaction and to assess the stability of sorghum variety for grain yield. A combined analysis of variance for grain yield and yield-related traits showed that the main effects of both genotypes and environments, and the interaction effect, were highly significant (P ≤ 0.001). The mean values of grain yield ranged from 1300 kg ha−1 (Dagim) to 2800 kg ha−1 (Melkam) with the overall mean values of 2100 kg ha−1. Based on the GGE biplot analysis, high yielding variety Melkam (2800 kg ha−1) showed better performance and stability across the test environments. In addition, the result of participatory variety selection (PVS) revealed that Melkam ranked first and second preferred sorghum variety in Lasta and Waghimira agro-ecologies, respectively. Therefore, we recommend Melkam for production in both agro-ecologies and similar areas of the country. This variety will play a role in enhancing farmers’ income through increasing grain yield, especially in the dry lowlands areas of Wag-himra and Lasta.
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DOI: 10.1080/23311932.2020.1778603
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