PRE-EXTENSION DEMONSTRATION OF IMPROVED BREAD WHEAT VARIETIES IN DAWRO ZONE AND KONTA SPECIAL WOREDA OF SOUTHERN NATION NATIONALITIES AND PEOPLES REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

The study was conducted in Dawro Zone of Tocha and Essera Woreda and Konta Special Woreda. The objective of the study was to demonstrate, recommend and transfer the best performing bread wheat varieties based on grain yield performance and farmers’ preference. In each kebele, one FTC and twelve farmers (8 male and four female farmers) were involved during ‘’meher’’ season of the year 2016. Training was given for the selected farmers and other stakeholders. Providing full packages of bread wheat technology- variety Ogolicho, Shorima and local were demonstrated in Konta Special Woreda but variety Shorima, Kakaba and Local were demonstrated in Dawro Zone of Tocha and Essera Woreda. Plot size of 10m X 10m was used and seeds were planted at a rate of 100kg/ha in all fields. The recommended rate of DAP (100kg/ha) and UREA (50 kg/ha) were used.  The spacing between plots and row was 1m and 30cm by drilling respectively. Field days were organized; farmers evaluated and selected the best performed varieties depending on their criteria's set. The criteria were earliness, tillering capacity, seed size, spike length, resistance to diseases and grain yield. During farmers’ selection process both female and male farmers had been incorporated so as to avoid gender bias. The result showed that variety Ogolicho was the best yielder with grain yield of 39.7 qt/ha and 36 qt/ha at Buba-damota Kebele and Chaka-bocha Kebele respectively followed by the variety Shorima (37.8 qt/ha at Buba Damota and 29 qt/ha at Chaka-bocha) in Konta Special Woreda. In Tocha and Essera Woreda, variety Shorima was with better grain yield performance at Edget kebele of Tocha Woreda (34.5 qt/ha) and Arsi-bale Kebele of Essera Woreda (34.4 qt/ha) respectively. Therefore, based on the farmers’ criteria and grain yield performance, variety Ogolicho selected as first followed by Shorima in Konta Special Woreda, and variety Shorma in Tocha and Essera Woreda, were recommended with its full packages for further pre-scaling.