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Adaptation and Promotion of Improved Beard Wheat Triticum aestivum L Varieties Under Irrigation in North West Amhara Ethiopia

Yohannes Azene, Simachew Yediemie, Tesfa Kasahun

Twenty-two bread wheat varieties eight of them were heat tolerant and fourteen bread wheat varieties released under rain feed were evaluated in two sets for adaptation and promotion of the best-adapted varieties (2020-2021) cropping season under irrigation at Metema and Belesa districts. The objective of this experiment was to identify and promote the best adapted, high yielder, and heat tolerance bread wheat varieties for different agro ecology irrigated production areas of the region. The experiments were conducted one year for a variety adaptation trial and a second year for demonstration of the best adapted, high yielding, and heat tolerance varieties from the two sets in the selected farmers filed under irrigation. The analysis of variance in both sets of experiments indicated that there was a highly significant difference (p<0.01) among the varieties for days to heading, days to maturity, number of spikelets per spike, number of seeds per spike, biological yield, grain yield, thousand seed weight and there was a significant difference among the varieties in plant height and spike length. The average mean of days to maturity for both sets was 92 days ranging from 80-96 days for heat tolerance & 83-97 days for released under rain feed. Early maturity was observed on the variety Ardi & kingbird (80 & 84 days) and late maturity was observed on the variety Werer-2 & Lemu (96 & 97 days) heat tolerance & rain feed respectively. The mean grain yield was 5670 kg ha^-1 in heat tolerance & 3954 kg ha^-1 released under rain feed. The grain yield was ranged from 5167 kg ha^-1 (Amibara-2) to 6212 kg ha^-1, 6195 kg ha^-1 (Werer-2 & Fentale-2) and 2814 kg ha^-1, 2820 kg ha-1 (Kingbird & Hidasie) to 6094 kg ha^-1, 5220 kg ha-1 (Ogolcho & Adet^-1) heat tolerance & released under rain feed prospectively. This indicated that heat tolerance bread wheat varieties showed that they were well adapted, high yielder, heat tolerance varieties in the new lowland areas as compared to those released under rain feed. Three best adapted & high yielder varieties from both trails were selected and promoted to participatory evaluation and promotion on different farmer’s fields. Grain yield showed a positive and highly significant correlation (P<0.01) with biological yield and thousand seed weight. There was also a highly significant (0<0.01) correlation (r=0.55, r=0.59, r=0.79 & r=0.46) between plant height with thousand seed weight, spike length, and biological yield and spikelets per spike. Days to maturity show a high and positive correlation (r=0.88) with the grain filling period. Therefore these traits could be used as indirect selection traits for grain yield according to the significance correlation suggestion. Farmers were also invited and evaluated the varieties based on their selection criteria during maturity time in both districts. Therefore, based on the analysis and farmers’ preference, Fentale-2 was recommended for production with its full production packages under irrigation in the lowland areas of Gondar and other similar agro-ecologies.