Feb

2016Science with a human face

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Success of Chickpea Production in North Gondar Zone of Ethiopia

Introduction ■ Amhara Regional State accounts for 60%, 54% and 55% of Ethiopian chickpea producers, production and area, respectively

■ Of this, North Gondar Zone accounts for 23%, 31% and 36% of producers, area and production, respectively.

■ However, the zone has had limited access to good quality seed of improved varieties

■ Most farmers in this region, therefore grow local landraces constrained by a/biotic among other stresses

■ Chickpea production in this area is limited by sporadic incidences of Ascochyta blight (AB) and Fusarium wilt

■ Reproductive stage drought also limits pod set and overall yields.

Methods ■ Efficient seed systems were put in place to ensure sustainable availability and accessibility of high quality seed of improved varieties at affordable prices.

■ Farmers’ seed grower groups were established to make seed available in the farmers’ vicinity in order to ensure sustainable expansion of improved chickpea technologies.

■ The capacities of farmers to produce and market the seed was enhanced through trainings and farmer field schools.

■ Chickpea seed producers and cooperatives were linked to Amhara Seed Enterprise for profitable sales.

Results ■ In earlier interventions with the TL II project, improved chickpea varieties namely; Arerti, Habru and Natoli were widely adopted in Gonder Zuria and Dembia districts.

Getachew Tilahun1, Million Eshete2, Mekasha Chichaymelu2*, Sherif Aliy2, Tesfaye Geleta2, Lijalem Korbu2, Ridwan Mohammed2, Nigusie Girma2, Dagnachew Bekele2, Asnake Fikre3, Ganga Rao NVPR4, Chris O Ojiewo5, Emmanuel Monyo4, Moses Siambi4, Pooran M Gaur6 and Rajeev K Varshney6 and Zewdie Bishaw7

1Gondar Agricultural Research Center, ARARI, Gondar, Ethiopia; 2DebreZeit Agric. Research Center, EIAR, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia; 3Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, EIAR, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 4Grain Legumes, ICRISAT, Kenya; 5Grain Legumes, ICRISAT, Ethiopia; 6ICRISAT, India; 7International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contact: Email: chichemekasha@gmail.com

■ In recent interventions in West Belessa and East Belessa districts variety Habru was widely accepted by the farmers.

■ The complete failure of the landrace varieties in 2014 due to AB resulted in higher adoption of AB-resistant Habru.

■ Only in the second year of the intervention over 1200 farmers managed to grow this variety.

■ Chickpea productivity here is now estimated at 2.03 t/ha up from 1.4 t/ha in 1999 and greater than the national average of 1.9 t/ha.

Formal sector

Semi-formal

Informalsector

Breeder seed(NARS)

Cer�fiedseed

Grain legume producers

Pre-basic

Basic Seed (PuSE)

SPG

Seed sector

Seed produc�on

PuSEPvSC

QDSCer�fied

seed

Pre-basic

Basic Seed (NARS + SPG)

Export market, Agro-industry

Efficient seed production schemes and partnerships.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

0

1

2

3

4

2000 2001 2004 2005 2006 2008 2009 2011 2012 2015

Produc�vity (t/ha) Area ('0000ha)

Produc�on Year

Ch

ick

pe

a P

rod

uc�

vit

y

Are

a u

nd

er

chic

kp

ea

Trends in area and productivity of chickpea in North Gondar.

■ 15 of the top 25 chickpea producing districts in Ethiopia are located in Amhara Regional State.

■ 5 of these are in North Gondar Zone. ■ 16 out of its 22 districts produce chickpea.

Conclusions ■ The production and supply of early generation seed should be enhanced to increase timely access.

■ Partnership and linkage between Amhara Seed Enterprises and seed producer groups will enhance supply of high quality commercial class seed of improved varieties.

■ Enhanced market linkages for grain producers in this zone will ensure that their produce is sold and their interest in the crop is sustained.

Land area in hectares under chickpea

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