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Agricultural Reviews, volume 43 issue 4 (december 2022) : 498-504

Participatory Variety Selection of Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties in the Low Lands of Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Fekadu Tewolde1,*, Shumet Chakle1, Amsalu Abie1
1Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center, P.O. Box 112, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia.
Cite article:- Tewolde Fekadu, Chakle Shumet, Abie Amsalu (2022). Participatory Variety Selection of Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties in the Low Lands of Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia . Agricultural Reviews. 43(4): 498-504. doi: 10.18805/ag.RF-237.

ABSTRACT

Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important staple food in the lowland of North Shewa, Ethiopia. However, the crop is less researched in this area. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the performance of improved open pollinated variety maize with the participation of farmers’ using their selection criteria for cultivation in the lowland areas of North Shewa.

Methods: Fourteen open pollinated maize varieties including local were evaluated in the lowland of Eastern Amhara at Eferatana Gedim district, Yimlo research station in 2016 and 2017 main cropping season. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) in three replications. Five agronomic and yield traits were collected in both cropping years. In addition, maize small holder farmers were participated to evaluate and score varieties using the matrix ranking method based on the farmers’ selection attributes.

Result: The combined analysis of variance across years showed that highly significant (p<0.01) difference for days to anthesis, grain yield. The highest grain yield was obtained from Melkassa-4 (5243 kg/ha) and Melkasa-2 (5115 kg/ha) while the lowest yield was recorded from Rare-1 (3294 kg/ha). The overall yielding ability of Melkasa-4 was higher as compared with the tested varieties. In addition, this variety was highly appreciated by maize farmers in both cropping years. Based on farmer’s selection and yield potential, therefore, Melkassa-4 has recommended for the lowlands of North Shewa and similar agro ecologies in Ethiopia. Support is needed to scale-up and deliver such improved variety through involving farmers in the selection and dissemination of varieties that are adapted to their needs, as it incurred income, good in crop rotation and animal feed.

INTRODUCTION

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.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Descriptions of the study areas
 
The experiment was conducted in the low land areas of North Shewa, Efratanagidim district, Yimlo research station in 2016 and 2017 main cropping season. The site located at about 130 km north eastern of Debre Birhan. Its coordinates is 10° 17’ 27”N and 39° 54’ 27” E in DMS (Degrees Minutes Seconds). The experimental site lies at an altitude of 1,514 meters above sea level. The study area average temperature is 25.4°C; June is the hottest month of the year. December is the lowest average temperature of the year. The climate is characterized by bimodal rainfall consisting of the long rainy season (June-September), short rainy season (February-May) and dry season (October-January). The mean annual rainfall is 1085 mm Fekadu (2015).
 
Plant material
Fourteen nationally released open pollinated maize varieties including local check were evaluated for phenological, agronomic and grain yield traits (Table 1).
 

Table 1: Descriptions of Ethiopian low lands maize varieties used for the experiments.


 
Treatment arrangements
 
The experiment was carried out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated three times at each site. Each variety was planted in row planting two seed per hole and thinned after full emergence on a plot size of 3 m × 3.6 m (10.8 m2) with spacing of 30cm between plant and 75 cm b/n rows. The path between plots and blocks were 1 m and 1.5 m respectively. Harvestable net plot area was 1.5*3.6=5.4 m2. Fertilizer was applied at the recommended rate of 139 kg/ha for urea and 121 kg/ha for NPS, respectively. All the recommended NPS and half of nitrogen applied during planting whereas the remaining half of nitrogen was applied during knee height stages of the crop. The seed rate was 25 kg/ha. Weeding was performed two times at crop reach nee height and before flowering.
 
Data collection and analysis
 
Phenotypic data were collected for days to anthesis (DTA) days to silking (DTS) and plant height (PH) days to physiological maturity (DTM), grain yield (GY). The collected agronomic and phenological data were subjected to SAS computer software version 9.1 (SAS institute 2002) and treatment mean separation was done using Duncan’s new multiple range test (DMRT) at 5% level of significance (Gomez and Gomez, 1984).
       
Selection of participants was done in a participatory manner with the district pastoral office experts working on crop production. The selection of participants was based on the interest they had on technology, model farmers and managing the field as required. During the farmers’ field days, a total of 69 farmers (55 male and 14 female) were selected and involved to list their major selection attributes of maize variety. Farmers’ preferences were collected and analyzed by using formula described by De Boef and Thijssen (2007). The formula of ranking method used was:
 
 
 
Where
N = Value given by group of farmers for each variety based on the selection criteria.
n = Number of selection criteria used by farmers.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Performance of agronomic and grain yield traits
 
Analysis of variance showed that a highly significant (P<0.01) and significant variations among tested maize varieties for all measured traits in each year except PH in 2017 cropping season (Appendix Table 1 and 2). Mean values of measured traits ranged from 50 (Melka-5) to 58.67 (Rare-1) for days to anthsis in days, 8 (Rare-1) to 62 (Melka-4, Melka-5) for days to silking in days, 78 (Melkasa-1q) to 117 (Gibe-3) for day to maturity in days,153 cm (Melkasa 1q) to 279 (Local) for plant height in cm and 4448 (Melka-5) to 7532 (Gibe-3) for grain yield in kg/ha in 2016 cropping season (Table 2). In 2017 cropping season, mean values of agronomic and yield traits ranged from 54.3 (Alemya composite) to 64 (Rare-1) for days to anthsis in days, 57 (Alemya composite) to 66 (Gibie -2) for days to silking in days, 118 (Melkasa-4 and Melkasa-6Q) to 123 (Gambela composite, Rare-1) for days to maturity in days, 190 (Melkasa-4) to 245 (Melkasa-2) for plant height in cm and 1768 (Rare-1) to 4449 (Melkasa-4) for grain yield in kg/ha (Table 3). The analysis of variance combined over two years showed that a highly significant (p<0.001) and significant (p<0.05) differences among varieties for plant height, grain yield, days to anthesis and silking (Appendix Table 3). The significant difference observed among varieties showed the genetic difference of the varieties. Similarly, Bassa and Goa (2016) reported a significant difference among maize genotypes in grain yield in their study of maize performance evaluation at Southern Ethiopia Hadiya zone. Research reported showed a significant difference in grain yield and agronomic traits in the high land maize genotypes evaluated at Bule Hora in Ethiopia (Taye et al., 2016). Year showed significant difference for days to anthesis ,days to silking, days to mature and grain yield (Appendix Table 3). Variety by year interaction showed significant differences for all traits except days to maturity (Appendix Table 3).
 

Table 2: Performance of maize varieties evaluated for grain yield and yield related traits at Ataye in (2016).


 

Table 3: Performance of maize varieties evaluated for grain yield and yield related traits at Ataye in (2017).


 

Appendix Table 1: Summary of ANOVA for grain yield and other agronomic traits of OPVM in 2016.


 

Appendix Table 2: Summary of ANOVA for grain yield and other agronomic traits of OPVM in 2017.


 

Appendix Table 3: Performance grain yield and other agronomic trait across year.


       
In combined data, days to anthesis ranged from 51 (Melkasa -1Q, Melkasa-7) (  to 61 (Rare-1(), days to silking  ranged from 54.5 (Melkaasa-7) to 64 (Rare-1), days to maturity ranged from 99 (Melkasa-1Q) to 119 (Gibe-3), plant height  ranged from 252 (Local ) to  (190) Melkasa -1Q and grain yield ranged from  3294 (Rare-1) to  5243 (Melkasa-4) (Table 4). Variety Melkasa-4, Gibe-2 and Gibie-1 were found to be the most promising variety in the study areas. This result is in agreement with the previous findings reported by Husain et al., (2011). The highest yield obtained from varieties Melkasa-4 (5243 kg/ha) (Table 4). In recent trials, yields of better-performing OP cultivars were often over 4400 kg/ha (Smith et al., 2003).
 

Table 4: Mean performance of grain yield and other agronomic trait of traits of 14 maize varieties combined over two years.


 
Comparison of farmers’ preference traits
 
Maize smallholder farmers were asked to list the main criteria to be considered in the selection of improved seed in their local condition. The major selection attributes identified by farmers were number of cob/plant (NCPP), bear tip (BT), earliness (ER), plant height (PH) and biomass (BM) (Table 5). Farmers identified grain yield, cob size earliness as the most important criteria for adoption of maize varieties in the lowlands of North Shewa. Farmers prioritized and ranked bear tip, earliness, plant height, number of cob per plant and biomass in their order of importance (Table 5). In 2016 cropping season, a total of 29 farmers (male 24 female 5) were involved in maize participatory varieties selection trial and farmers evaluated fourteen open pollinated maize varieties and they selected five best varieties based on their preference criteria. Farmer’s top preferred variety was Melkasa-4 followed by Melkasa-5 (Table 6).
 

Table 5: Pair wise ranking matrix of selected criteria’s for maize varieties in 2016.


 

Table 6: Farmers’ preference ranking matrix summary sheet of maize in 2016.


       
In 2017 cropping season, a total of 40 farmers (31 male  and 9 female)evaluated fourteen maize varieties and they selected five varieties based on their selection attributes such as beer tip (BT), earliness (ER), plant height (PH), number of cob per plant (NCPP) and Biomass (BM). Farmers prioritized and ranked bear tip, earliness, biomass, number of cob per plant and plant height, in their order of importance (Table 7). This finding is in line with Chimonyo et al., (2019). Traits desired by farmers, from the most to the least preferred, were short to medium plant height, long cobs, a large number of kernel rows (≥12), prolificacy, good cob filling, big kernel size, flint kernels and early maturity. Finally farmers preferred variety Melkasa-4 followed by Melkasa-5 (Table 8).
 

Table 7: Pair wise ranking matrix of selected criteria’s for maize varieties in 2017.


 

Table 8: Farmers’ preference ranking matrix summary sheet of maize in 2017.


       
In both cropping seasons farmers were actively participated and selected variety Melkasa-4 as first preferred variety (Fig 1). Similarly, farmers were actively involved and play a great role in selecting top preferred varieties in finger millet (Andualem and Desalew 2017). In general, variety Melkasa-4 was not only high yielder but also early maturing and highly preferred by maize farmers which was ranked first during both years and this variety is also relatively early maturing as compared with the tested varieties. Research report showed that earliness trait is considered as an important criterion because early maturity allows the crop to escape drought and ensure early and quick provision of cash and food to households to bridge the hunger gap (Badu-Apraku et al., 2009).
 

Fig 1: Pictorial presentation of Melkasa 4 maize variety and farmers’ preference 2017 main cropping season at grain filling stage

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Incorporating farmers’ selection criteria and farmer evaluation in the development of new open pollinated maize variety is important under the changing maize-growing environments in Ethiopia, to recommended and to increase the varietal turnover of improved maize and to improve the production system in the study areas. Our results show that farmers had a wide range of criteria they used in evaluating maize varieties. This clearly shows farmers can distinguish their desired trait at mid-season. The combined analysis of variance across years showed that highly significant (p<0.01) difference for days to anthesis, plant height and grain yield. The highest yield was obtained from Melkassa-4 (5243 kg/ha) and Melkasa-2 (5115 kg/ha) while the lowest yield was recorded from Rare (13294 kg/ha). The overall yielding ability of Melkasa-4 was higher as compared with the tested varieties. In addition, this variety was highly appreciated by maize farmers. Based on farmers’ selection, yield potential, Melkassa-4 has recommended for the lowlands of North Shewa and similar agro ecologies in Ethiopia. Support is needed to scale-up and deliver such improved variety through involving farmers in the selection and dissemination of varieties that are adapted to their needs, as it incurred income, good in crop rotation and animal feed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank farmers for participating and sharing their knowledge and experience. We would like to thank Debr Birhan Agricultural Centre; Amhara Agricultural Research Institute for giving us all the necessary facilities for the completion of this work.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None.

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