Skip to content
BY-NC-ND 4.0 license Open Access Published by De Gruyter Open Access September 2, 2017

Participatory Variety Selection: A Tool to Understand Farmers′ Potato Variety Selection Criteria

  • Semagn Asredie Kolech EMAIL logo , Walter De Jong , Keith Perry , Donald Halseth and Fentahun Mengistu
From the journal Open Agriculture

Abstract

Although the Ethiopian potato program has released more than 30 new varieties, selected primarily for yield potential and late blight tolerance, the majority of farmers still choose to grow older ‘local varieties’. Cognizant of this, the current study aimed to identify traits that farmers consider most important when deciding which varieties to grow. The study was conducted at two sites in northwest Ethiopia, representing two major agroecological zones, in two distinct growing seasons, using a participatory variety selection approach. Diseasefree seed tubers of nine local and three new varieties were planted. Twenty-three traits were found to influence the varieties that farmers selected and seven of them differed between agroecological zones. Gender differences were also observed for three of the 23 traits at Laigaint (submoist cool agroecology). Of the 23 traits, 12 were considered very important in one or both of the agroecological zones as well as in at least one growing season. At present eight of these 12 traits are not given high priority by the Ethiopian potato variety selection program. The results show that farmers′ selection criteria are very diverse, that no variety possesses all desirable characteristics, and that there is a need for selecting varieties adapted to different agroecologies and growing seasons. This study further suggests that taking farmer interests into account is important for a highly heterozygous, clonally-propagated crop like potato to be accepted by farmers.

References

Abebe G.K., Bijman J., Pascucci S., Omta S., Adoption of improved potato varieties in Ethiopia: The role of agricultural knowledge and innovation system and smallholder farmers’ quality assessment. Agricultural Systems, 2013, 122, 22-3210.1016/j.agsy.2013.07.008Search in Google Scholar

Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), Participatory Varietal Selection of Rice. The Technician’s Manual. Cotonou, Benin, 2010Search in Google Scholar

Almekinders C.J.M., Elings A., Collaboration of farmers and breeders: Participatory crop improvement in perspective. Euphytica, 2001, 122, 425-43810.1023/A:1017968717875Search in Google Scholar

Bekele K., Eshetu B., Potato disease management. In Root and tuber crops: The untapped resources, eds. Woldegiorgis, W., Gebre, E, Lemaga, B. Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, 2008Search in Google Scholar

Bellon M.R., The dynamics of crop intraspecific diversity: A conceptual framework at the farmer level. Econ. Botany, 1996, 50(1), 26-3910.1007/BF02862110Search in Google Scholar

Bellon M.R., Analysis of the demand for characteristics by wealth and gender: a case study from Oaxaca, Mexico. In: Bellon, M.R, Reeves, J. (eds.), Quantitative Analysis of Data from Participatory methods in plant Breeding. CYMMYT, Mexico, DF,2002, pp. 66-81Search in Google Scholar

Brush S.B., Taylor J.E., Bellon M.R., Technology Adoption and Biological Diversity in Andean Potato Agriculture. Journal of Development Economics, 1992, 39, 365- 38710.1016/0304-3878(92)90044-ASearch in Google Scholar

Cavatassi R., Lipper L., Narloch U., Modern Variety Adoption and risk management in Drought Prone Areas: Insights from the Sorghum Farmers of Eastern Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics, 2011, 42, 279- 29210.1111/j.1574-0862.2010.00514.xSearch in Google Scholar

CIP (International Potato Center), Participatory Variety Selection (PVS): Mother and Baby trial. Working document. Lima, Peru, 2015Search in Google Scholar

CSA (Central Statistics Agency), Agriculture sample survey 2013/14 (2006 EC): Report on area, production and farm management practice of Belg season crops for private peasant holdings. Volume V: Statistical Bulletin 532, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014Search in Google Scholar

Danial D., Parleviliet J., Almekinders C., Thiele G., Farmers’ participation and breeding for durable disease resistance in the Andean region. Euphytica, 2007, 153, 385-39610.1007/s10681-006-9165-9Search in Google Scholar

Emana B., Nigussie M., Potato value chain analysis and development in Ethiopia: Case of Tigray and SNNP regions. International Potato Center (CIP). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011Search in Google Scholar

Dorp M. van, T. Rulkens, Farmer crop-selection criteria and gene bank collections in Indonesia. In: de Boef W., Amanor K., Wellard K., Bebbington A. (Eds.), Cultivating Knowledge Genetic Diversity, Farmer Experimentation and Crop Research, Intermediate Technology Publications, London, 1993, pp. 119-127Search in Google Scholar

Fuglie K.O., Priorities for potato research in Developing countries: Results of a survey. Journal of Potato Research, 2007, 84, 353-365 JMP.10.1007/BF02987182Search in Google Scholar

JMP pro 10.0.02. SAS Institute, INC. Cary, NC. 2012Search in Google Scholar

Kidane M.H., Preliminary assessment of the responses of potato genotypes in the eastern, southern and central regions of Ethiopia. Eth. J. Agr. Sci., 1979, 1(1), 41-47Search in Google Scholar

Kolech S.A., Halseth D., De Jong W., Perry K., Wolfe D., Tiruneh F.M., Schulz S., Potato Variety Diversity, Determinants and Implications for Potato Breeding Strategy in Ethiopia. American Journal of Potato Research, 2015a, 92, 551-56610.1007/s12230-015-9467-3Search in Google Scholar

Kolech S.A., Halseth D., Perry K., De Jong W., Tiruneh F.M., Wolfe D., Identification of farmer priorities in potato production through participatory variety selection. American Journal of Potato Research, 2015b, 92, 648-66110.1007/s12230-015-9478-0Search in Google Scholar

Kolech S.A, Halseth D., Perry K., Wolfe D., Douches D.S., Coombs J., De Jong W., Genetic diversity and relationship of Ethiopian potato cultivars to germplasm from the USA, Europe and International Potato Center. American Journal of Potato Research, 2016, 93(6), 609-61910.1007/s12230-016-9543-3Search in Google Scholar

Labarta R., The genetic improvement of potato and sweetpotato in Sub-Saharan Africa. Report to the diffusion and impact of improved varieties in Africa (DIIVA) project, Nairobi, 2010Search in Google Scholar

Labarta R., Wambungu S., Yirga C., Mugabo J., Nsabimana J., Mulwa C., Schulz S., Lorochelle C., Alwang J., Andrad R., Yigezu Y., Report on Objective 2 of the Diffusion and Impacts of Improved Varieties in Africa (DIIVA) Project. International Potato Center (CIP), Nairobi, Kenya, 2012Search in Google Scholar

Lando R.P., Mak S., Cambodian farmers’ decision making in the choice of traditional rain fed lowland rice varieties. IRRI Research Paper Series 154, 1994Search in Google Scholar

MOA (Minsitry of Agriculture), Variety register booklet for 2015. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2015Search in Google Scholar

Morris M.L., Bellon M. R., Participatory plant breeding research: Opportunities and challenges for the international crop improvement system. Euphytica, 2004, 136, 21-3510.1023/B:EUPH.0000019509.37769.b1Search in Google Scholar

Mulatu. E, Zelleke H., Farmers’ highland maize (Zea mays L.) selection criteria: Implications for maize breeding for the Harerghe highland of eastern Ethiopia. Euphytica, 2002, 127, 11- 3010.1023/A:1019939721444Search in Google Scholar

National Seed Industry Agency, National Variety Release Procedures and Mechanism. Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2001Search in Google Scholar

Scott G.J., Labarta R., Suarez V., Booms, busts, and emerging markets for potatoes in East and Central Africa 1961-2010. Potato Research, 2013, 56(3), 205-23610.1007/s11540-013-9240-2Search in Google Scholar

Thiele G., Gardner G., Torrez R., Gabriel J., Farmer involvement in selection of new varieties: Potatoes in Bolivia. Exp. Agric., 1997, 33, 1-1610.1017/S0014479797003098Search in Google Scholar

Vom Brocke K., Trouche G., Weltzien E., Barro-Kondombo C.P., Goze E., Chantereau J., Participatory variety development for sorghum in Burkina Faso: Farmers’ selection and farmers’ criteria. Field Crops Research, 2010, 119, 183-19410.1016/j.fcr.2010.07.005Search in Google Scholar

Woldegiorgis G., Potato variety development strategies and methodologies in Ethiopia. In: seed potato tuber production and dissemination: experiences, challenges and prospects. Proceedings of the National Workshop on Seed Potato Tuber Production and Dissemination. EIAR and ARARI. 12-14 March 2012, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2013Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2016-12-28
Accepted: 2017-5-20
Published Online: 2017-9-2
Published in Print: 2017-8-28

© 2017

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Downloaded on 19.3.2024 from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/opag-2017-0049/html
Scroll to top button