Horticulture

The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest and best-known cultivated fruit trees. The fruit is composed of very nutritive minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, chlorine, phosphorus, and magnesium. The tree can withstand relatively harsh climate and soil conditions, which no other crop can match. In Ethiopia, date palm is cultivated and/or wildly grown in the Afar, Dire Dawa, Somali, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regions. However, the yields of local cultivars are too low to meet the sharply increasing demand. Thus, research has been conducted to evaluate and register the best-performing, desirable yield and quality of introduced improved varieties. Fourteen (14) tissue-cultured introduced materials from England and Israel were planted at 10m x 10m spacing between rows and plants over three locations, viz., Werer Agricultural Research Center (WARC), Assiyta, and Afambo districts. Two varieties (Barhee and Medjool), early fruiting types, were individually evaluated out of 12 varieties on the basis of fruit yield for two years at WARC, while vegetative parameters were taken from the other locations. The study revealed that Barhee and Medjool were superior to the remaining date palm varieties. The annual yield advantage of Barhee (68.39 kg tree-1) over Medjool (50.87 kg tree-1) was 34.44%. The high offshoot production potential of Barhee and Medjool varieties could reduce the purchase of imported tissue-cultured date palms by the country as well as individuals. In conclusion, the newly released varieties Barhee and Medjool could be cultivated profitably and sustainably for commercial cultivation in the low land areas of the Afar regional state and other similar agro-ecology, and could also increase the income of smallholder farmers and agro-pastoralists.

Storage root and tuber crop like sweet potatoes are the most important crops that need to be cultivated for food security in countries like Ethiopia where population is growing fast, because of the highest potential yield per unit area. However, crop productions especially sweet potato were newly introduced to the irrigated areas of Afar region. Therefore, the experiment was conducted at Bonta kebeles in 2017 cropping season using RCBD with three replications to evaluate and demonstrate five released sweet potato varieties. Results of the experiment indicated that, high significant differences among varieties were observed for all yield and yield parameters: MSRN and MSRY, TSRN and USRY and ABMY. Generally, Me'e was out yielded in MSRY (27.60 t ha-1) but Dubo was the lowest performing variety (16.51 t ha-1) though, it was high yielder in ABMY (16.23 t ha-1). Agronomic parameters were also high significantly differences among varieties. Accordingly, Dubo was significant produced the highest ID (0.58 mm), but Me'e (0.46 mm) was the least. The highest and lowest IL was recorded over Me'e (3.68 mm) and Dubo (3.27 mm), respectively. The result of the correlation analysis revealed that the marketable storage root yield was highly significant and positively correlated with different parameters: TSRN (r=0.89 **), TSRY (r=0.95 **), ASRY (r=0.89 **), IL (r=0.92 **) and DPM (r=0.66 **). In contrast, negative and significant correlation was also detected between MSRY and other parameters: USRN (r=-0.89 **), UMSRY (r=-0.72 **) and ABMY (r=-0.89 **). Generally, Me'e was out yielded and selected by agro pastorals by marketable storage root number, marketable storage root yield, total storage root number, total storage root yield, high in sweetness, least in days to physiological maturity and cooking time. Therefore, rapid multiplication and delivery of planting material of selected varieties should be needed to sustain the adoption of sweet potato by agro pastorals.

Cassava production is popular in Africa due to its low water requirement, which is recently adapted in Afar region that characterized by low availability of moisture. Demonstration was not done to familiarize the crop with agro pastorals in the area. Therefore, the experiment was carried out at WARC, Bedulale and Kedigadora kebeles in 2014 cropping season using two released cassava varieties namely Qulle and kelo planted on double observational plots that arranged as RCBD with two replications at each location. Practical training on product development and end product test were accomplished for selected agro pastorals of Amibara districts through promotional workshop. Storage root yield results of the experiment showed that there was highly significant difference (P<0.01) between the two cassava varieties as, Variety Kello gave significantly higher average storage root diameter (2.25 cm) and average root length (16.65 cm), average root number (43.36%), unmarketable root yield (24.67%), marketable root number (71.03%), total root number (43.09%) and total root yield (18.43%) than variety Qulle. Combined analysis of variance for each location also showed the same result. Varieties were non-significant at the specified level of significance for total root yield at Werer agricultural research center and Kadigadora but they were found to be significant at Wedulale. Similarly, the varieties were non-significant at the specified level of significance for average root diameter and number, unmarketable and total root number at WARC and Wedulale but, they were found to be significant at Kadigadora. Agro pastorals were provided and consumed eight different kinds of cassava based meals namely: 1) Cassava bread, 2) Cassava chechebsa, 3) Cassava cookies, 4) Cassava cheeps and biscuits, 5) Wet from Cassava leaves, 6) Cassava enjera 7) Boiled cassava root, 8) Cassava potage. After testing food, discussion with Agro pastorals about the crop, its production and food test was done. They became interested to grow cassava and happy with the demonstration and call it "Me'e" meaning best in Afar language. Thus it, cassava production and utilization are suggested to be increased all over the tested locations and areas with similar agro ecologies in the region.

The Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest and best-known cultivated fruit trees. The fruit is composed of very nutritive minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, chlorine, phosphorus, and magnesium. The tree can withstand relatively harsh climate and soil conditions, which no other crop can match. In Ethiopia, date palm is cultivated and/or wildly grown in the Afar, Dire Dawa, Somali, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regions. However, the yields of local cultivars are too low to meet the sharply increasing demand. Thus, research has been conducted to evaluate and register the best-performing, desirable yield and quality of introduced improved varieties. Fourteen (14) tissue-cultured introduced materials from England and Israel were planted at 10m x 10m spacing between rows and plants over three locations, viz., Werer Agricultural Research Center (WARC), Assiyta, and Afambo districts. Two varieties (Barhee and Medjool), early fruiting types, were individually evaluated out of 12 varieties on the basis of fruit yield for two years at WARC, while vegetative parameters were taken from the other locations. The study revealed that Barhee and Medjool were superior to the remaining date palm varieties. The annual yield advantage of Barhee (68.39 kg tree-1) over Medjool (50.87 kg tree-1) was 34.44%. The high offshoot production potential of Barhee and Medjool varieties could reduce the purchase of imported tissue-cultured date palms by the country as well as individuals. In conclusion, the newly released varieties Barhee and Medjool could be cultivated profitably and sustainably for commercial cultivation in the low land areas of the Afar regional state and other similar agro-ecology, and could also increase the income of smallholder farmers and agro-pastoralists.

In most developing countries potatoes are consumed in fresh with some processing into chips and crisps. In Ethiopia there are only three type of potato processed products such as boiled or cooked product, wot and deep fried types. Principally, farmers in Ethiopia produce potato for fresh marketing and tubers seed sale. To diversify potato utilization, training on potato processing was held in two kebeles of Welmera and one kebele's of Ada Berga District for selected potato producing farmers group and cooperative members to promote potato processing and increase farmer's attitude towards potato production as well as to diversify the use of potato product and foods farmers use. The recipes done were Potato Pasta, Potato Kinche, Potato quanta, Potato starch, Potato crisp and chips, Genfo, Shiro wot, Chechebsa, Enjera, bread, Firfir (from mixture of meat and egg). These food types were found food which have good look, nutritious and pleasant. Use of potato in different food items raise the appetite of people and diversify food farmers' use. Farmers appreciated the food types prepared from potato. They recommended processing and promoting it through mass media (TV), radio and exhibition in town administration. In addition, the farmers appreciated the effort Holetta Research Center puts in providing new seed tubers together with its technology to producers and they asked to get continues support in the future time.

An experiment was conducted on a Nitisol of Holetta agricultural research and Jeldu Sub-center using three factors such as potato varieties (Belete, Jalenie and Gudanie), nitrogen rates (87, 110 and 133 kg/ha) and potassium oxide rates (0, 34.5, 69 and 103 kg/ha) that were arranged on randomized complete block design with three replications. The data were subjected to Proc GLM model of SAS software version 9.2. Higher tuber nitrogen content, uptake and utilization was obtained from Holetta location than Jeldu. Increasing nitrogen fertilizer from 87 to 133 kg/ha reduced the tuber nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency by 75.56 and 75.49%, respectively. The interaction between variety and location also highly significantly affected tuber nitrogen content and nitrogen utilization efficiency. The interaction between nitrogen and variety affected tuber nitrogen in percent and protein content highly significantly. The highest tuber nitrogen and protein content was obtained from Belete and Gudenie varieties at a rate of 110 kg/ha nitrogen. From these results, it can be concluded that, the interaction between nitrogen and potassium rates did not affect significantly any parameter measured in this experiment, while nitrogen, varieties, interaction of location with variety showed significantly different nitrogen use efficiencies and tuber minerals content.

Ethiopia is one of the major potato producing countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa region where potato is the fastest expanding food crop. The natural environment in Ethiopia is very suitable for year round production of potato using rain-fed and irrigated systems. However, the actual potato yield in the country ranges between 8-10 t/ha, which is slightly below the average for Africa. Shortage of good quality seed has been recognized as the single most important factor limiting potato production in the developing countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the accelerating role of rapid seed potato multiplication technologies for potato seed production in Ethiopia. A low adoption of recommended seed potato technologies in the country could be due to a lack of alternative seed potato production methods compatible with farmers’ economic and agro-ecological conditions. Since 2010, Holetta Agricultural Research Centre in collaboration with Internatio...

Increasing productivity through enhanced potato production efficiency could be an important move towards food security. In Ethiopia potato (Solanum tubersum L.) production levels and rates have been increasing due to the development and dissemination of improved potato technologies. Despite these efforts by the government, smallholders’ potato productivity has remained below potential. However, empirical studies conducted to estimate level of efficiencies and to identify its determining factors in potato production which would guide policy makers in their efforts to do up its productivity are sparse. The purpose of this study was to analyze the technical efficiency, yield loss due to inefficiency and factors affecting efficiency of rain-fed and irrigated potato farmers in Welmera district of Oromia region, Ethiopia. A two stage sampling procedure involving purposive and random selection of the district, kebeles and samples was used to collect data from 72 households (40 from rain-fe...

Egata Shunka1*, Ayalew Adela2, Abebe Chindi1, Kassaye Negash1, Gebremedhin W/giorgis1 1Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center, Horticultural Research Division, Potato Research Program, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Agricultural Research Center, Land and Water use Management Research, Water Shed Research Program, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Received: 21 December 2020 Revised received: 01 March 2021 Accepted: 15 March 2021 This experiment was conducted to determine the rate of blended fertilizers and urea for potato production under rainfed condition in Jeldu, West Showa, Ethiopia. Different fertilizer treatments viz., 150 kg ha NPSB+80 kg ha urea, 250 kg ha NPSB+80 kg ha urea, 350 kg ha NPSB+80 kg ha urea, 150 kg ha NPSB+140 kg ha urea, 250 kg ha NPSB+140 kg ha urea, 350 kg ha NPSB+140 kg ha urea, 150 kg ha NPSB +200 kg ha urea, 250 kg ha NPSB +200 kg ha urea and 350 kg ha N+200 kg ha urea was used for the production of Belete and Gudenie potato varieties (cv. Jeldu Wereda) during 2018-2019 using RCBD factorial arrangement in three replication. This study revealed that there was a highly significant difference between the yield and yield components of potato due to the main effect of fertilizer rates. The interaction did not significantly affect any parameter of potato during the study. The highest total and marketable...

Potato is regarded as a high-potential food security crop due to its ability to provide high yield and quality product per unit input with a short crop cycle (mostly &lt;120 days). The national average yield at present is approximately 10.5 t/ha, which is lower than the world‘s average yield of 17 t/ha (Muthoni et al., 2011). The potential of potato crop has not been adequately exploited. The crop is mainly grown at high altitudes of 1,500–3,000 masl by small-scale farmers, who account for over 90% of the production. Most of the production is under rainfed conditions and carried out in scattered patches of intensive small-scale agriculture (McArthur, 1989).

In soilless culture like aeroponics, nutrient optimization is the most critical factor to produce high quality and high yield of clean potato seed. Each crop has an optimum nutritional requirement. Even each potato cultivar may require a specific nutrient solution in an aeroponics unit. A nutrient optimization experiment was conducted at Holetta agricultural research center to study the effect of different nutrient solution levels on the physical quality and yield of potato mini-tubers. The treatments were four different nutrient solutions of greenhouse grade macro nutrients measured in (g) for the preparation of 500 liter volume of nutrient solution that is to be restocked when the nutrient tank becomes empty. The nutrient EC and pH were adjusted as per the requirements. A=(118 g CaNO

Field experiment was conducted at Holetta and Jeldu Agricultural Research Station in the central highlands of Ethiopia to determine the rates of Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) fertilizers on growth, yield and yield components of potato. 4 × 32 factorial treatment was arranged in completely randomized block design with three replications on plot size of 3 m × 3 m during 2014-2015 cropping season. Nitrogen (87 kg, 110 kg and 133 kg/ha), Potassium (0, 34.5 kg, 69 kg and 103.5 kg/ha) and potato varieties (Betete, Gudenie and Jalenie) were used. Data were analyzed by using SAS software Version 9.2. The interaction effect of potassium and nitrogen fertilizers did affect marketable tuber number and plant height significantly. Gudenie produced the highest marketable yield (30.53 ton/ha) in 2015 with application of 69 kg/ha potassium and 110 kg/ha nitrogen rates while lowest marketable yield (16.67 ton/ha) was obtained from Belete variety at 0 kg/ha potassium rate and 87 kg/ha nitrogen rate. From these results, it can be concluded that interaction of nitrogen and potassium rates affected significantly plant height and marketable tuber numbers. Therefore, it is better to apply 69 kg/ha potassium and 110 kg/ha nitrogen for potato production to obtain reasonable economic yield at sites similar to experimental locations.

One argument for early intervention for reading difficulties is that it can sustainably improve children's reading competence trajectory (the 'inoculation model'), but there are virtually no studies on sustained effects at the end of compulsory schooling. This study reports on a 10-year follow-up of a widely used early literacy intervention, Reading Recovery. UK schools adopting Reading Recovery enrol selected teachers for a year's training, after which they provide one-to-one tutoring and typically act as literacy advisors. In a quasi-experimental, intention to treat, design, 293 6-year-olds with reading difficulties in 42 London schools were assigned to Reading Recovery (RR), standard provision in Reading Recovery schools (RRS) or standard provision in comparison schools (CS). Children were traced at ages 14 (204) and 16 (271) and data collected from the National Pupil Database. At age 14 and 16, significantly fewer RR than CS pupils were officially identified as having special educational needs, a potential consequence of reading difficulties. Using multi-level modelling and controlling for baseline reading and Free School Meal status (an indicator of poverty), at age 16 the RR group significantly outperformed the CS group on academic qualifications (GCSEs) (d = 0.52). However, the RRS group also performed significantly better than the CS group (d = 0.37), consistent with the fact that standard provision for weaker readers in RR schools differed from that provided in CS. Thus, these results support the long-term effects of early intervention but raise questions about the importance of whole-school effects and systemic intervention.