Feb 2016 Science with a human face About ICRISAT: www.icrisat.org ICRISAT’s scienfic informaon: EXPLOREit.icrisat.org Success of Chickpea Producon in North Gondar Zone of Ethiopia Introducon ■ Amhara Regional State accounts for 60%, 54% and 55% of Ethiopian chickpea producers, producon and area, respecvely ■ Of this, North Gondar Zone accounts for 23%, 31% and 36% of producers, area and producon, respecvely. ■ However, the zone has had limited access to good quality seed of improved variees ■ Most farmers in this region, therefore grow local landraces constrained by a/bioc among other stresses ■ Chickpea producon in this area is limited by sporadic incidences of Ascochyta blight (AB) and Fusarium wilt ■ Reproducve 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 variees 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 capacies of farmers to produce and market the seed was enhanced through trainings and farmer field schools. ■ Chickpea seed producers and cooperaves were linked to Amhara Seed Enterprise for profitable sales. Results ■ In earlier intervenons with the TL II project, improved chickpea variees namely; Arer, Habru and Natoli were widely adopted in Gonder Zuria and Dembia districts. Getachew Tilahun 1 , Million Eshete 2 , Mekasha Chichaymelu 2 *, Sherif Aliy 2 , Tesfaye Geleta 2 , Lijalem Korbu 2 , Ridwan Mohammed 2 , Nigusie Girma 2 , Dagnachew Bekele 2 , Asnake Fikre 3 , Ganga Rao NVPR 4 , Chris O Ojiewo 5 , Emmanuel Monyo 4 , Moses Siambi 4 , Pooran M Gaur 6 and Rajeev K Varshney 6 and Zewdie Bishaw 7 1 Gondar Agricultural Research Center, ARARI, Gondar, Ethiopia; 2 DebreZeit Agric. Research Center, EIAR, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia; 3 Ethiopian Instute of Agricultural Research, EIAR, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 4 Grain Legumes, ICRISAT, Kenya; 5 Grain Legumes, ICRISAT, Ethiopia; 6 ICRISAT, India; 7 Internaonal Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Contact: Email: [email protected] ■ In recent intervenons in West Belessa and East Belessa districts variety Habru was widely accepted by the farmers. ■ The complete failure of the landrace variees in 2014 due to AB resulted in higher adopon of AB-resistant Habru. ■ Only in the second year of the intervenon over 1200 farmers managed to grow this variety. ■ Chickpea producvity here is now esmated at 2.03 t/ha up from 1.4 t/ha in 1999 and greater than the naonal average of 1.9 t/ha. Formal sector Semi-formal Informal sector Breeder seed (NARS) Cerfied seed Grain legume producers Pre-basic Basic Seed (PuSE) SPG Seed sector Seed producon PuSE PvSC QDS Cerfied seed Pre-basic Basic Seed (NARS + SPG) Export market, Agro-industry Efficient seed producon 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 Producvity (t/ha) Area ('0000ha) Producon Year Chickpea Pr oduc vity Ar ea under chickpea Trends in area and producvity 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 producon and supply of early generaon seed should be enhanced to increase mely access. ■ Partnership and linkage between Amhara Seed Enterprises and seed producer groups will enhance supply of high quality commercial class seed of improved variees. ■ 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 ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR Consorum