Maize (
Zea mays L.) is one of the most important staple crops in the world. It is a popular crop having a wide adaptability to different agro climatic conditions. The crop is one of the most important annual cereal crops in the world (
Tandzi and Mutengwa 2019). Maize is globally known as the queen of cereals because of its high yield potential amongst other cereal crops. It is cultivated on about 150,000,000 hectares in over 160 countries with a broader diversity of climate, soil, biodiversity and management practices contributing to 36% of the global grain production. The USA is the global leader in maize production, with 377,500,000 metric tons of maize (
World Atlas 2016) and 36% of the world total in 2014 (
Statista 2015). Maize is the most grown crop in many developing countries, especially Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), contributing immensely to the SSA economy
(Gebre et al., 2019). The crop occupies more than 33 million ha of sub-Saharan Africa’s estimated 200 million ha of cultivated land. Due to the low average maize grain yields that are still shown in farmers’ fields, satisfying the projected increase demand for maize grain in Africa presents a challenge (
Harold, 2015).
In Ethiopia, maize grows from moisture stress areas to high rain fall areas and from lowlands to highlands. It is the most widely grown crop from lowland to highland agro-ecologies. Among cereals, maize accounts for the largest share in the country's crop production and is grown more than any other crop by farmers. It is largely produced in Western, Central, Southern and Eastern parts of the country. Nationally maize is the largest cereal commodity in terms of total production and yield (
CSA 2021). In Amhara region, maize is fourth in area coverage next to tef, wheat and sorghum and first in volume of production. In North Shoa Zone, maize is fifth in area coverage and production next to tef, wheat, sorghum and barley (
CSA 2021).
Maize is an important carbohydrate source for human diets in developing countries and animal feed in developed countries
(Undie et al., 2012). Maize is processed and consumed in various forms, varying from region to region or from one ethnic group to another. For instance, maize grains are prepared by boiling, roasting, or as paste in Nigeria and Ghana, or as popcorn consumed all over West Africa (
Abdulrahman and Kolawole, 2006). Maize provides about 1,400 Kcal/100 g of energy on a dry weight basis (
Shikha et al., 2019). Maize is consumed as Injera, Porridge, Bread and Nefro. It also consumed roasted or boiled as vegetables at green stage. In addition to the above, it is used to prepare local alcoholic drinks known as Tella and Arekie. It is also used as industrial raw material for oil and glucose production. Maize is the cheapest source of calorie, providing 16.7% of per capita calorie intake nationally
(Rashid et al., 2010).
Open-pollinated maize varieties are genetically diverse and developed by selecting open-pollinated maize ears that are desirable to the breeders or farmers. This causes a variation within plant populations that allow the varieties to adapt to local growing conditions and climates. Open-pollinated variety (OPV) seeds can be saved for future planting without losing vigor or yield (
Frank Kutka 2011). Open-pollinated maize varieties are more appropriate to peasant farmers since the seeds obtained from the harvest can be used as planting materials for subsequent cropping season
(Iken et al., 2001). Research reported showed that open-pollinated maize varieties yield higher than local varieties because they are more effective in transferring assimilates to their ear sink (
Worku and Zelleke 2007).
Participatory variety selection (PVS) is the selection of new varieties by farmers on their own fields of finished or near-finished products from plant breeding programs. These include released cultivars, varieties in advanced stages of testing and well characterized material such as advanced non-segregating lines in inbreeding crops, or advanced populations in outbreeding crop under different target environments. It is increasingly being used to select and promote new crop breeding materials in most African countries (
Eileen 2021). It provides an opportunity of getting large number of varietal choices to farmers, enhances farmer’s access to crop varieties and increase in diversity, increases production and ensures food security, helps to disseminate the adoption of pre and released varieties in larger areas, allows doing varietal selection in targeted areas at cost-effective way and also in a lesser time and helps seed production at community level
(Yadaw et al., 2006).
Even if maize has multiple uses, but there is low production even no significant production coverage in the low lands of North Shoa Zone. Poor stand establishment results in reduced yield and/or complete crop failure if drought occurred at the seedling, flowering or grain filling stages, which coincide with the beginning and end of the growing season
(Sacks et al., 2010). Therefore, the low yield in these areas is mainly faced due to poor productivity of their local variety, lack of improved maize varieties, recurrent drought, low levels of fertilizer use and shortage of hybrid seed, incase if hybrid seed available the price of seed is too expensive that farmers unable to afford furthermore; farmers in the study areas habitual to re-use hybrid seed which they produced last year for this year which have problem of segregation and yield reduction. To combat this problem, varied maize varieties haves been released from Melkassa Agricultural Research Center for moisture stress areas which are tolerant to drought. However, most of the varieties were not evaluated for moisture stress areas of North Shewa Zone especially on farmers land. Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate improved Open Pollinated Variety Maize with the participation of farmers using their selection criteria and compare this with the researchers’ eye and recommend for cultivation in North Shewa lowlands.