Abstract

The experiment was executed during the 2018 – 2019 irrigation cropping season to evaluate the adaptability and yield performance of kabuli type chickpea varieties with the involvement of farmers based on their preferences criteria. Ten improved varieties were laid out in RCB design with three replications for the mother trial and the baby trial, a single rep of the mother trial, which was used for farmers’ preference selections. Data on days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of branches, plant height, biomass, hundred seed weight, and grain yield were collected and analyzed. The farmers evaluated and selected the varieties depending on their criteria from the baby trial. The criteria were grain productivity, earliness, seed size, and free from any diseases. Farmers’ selection was analyzed by the PairWise and Matrix ranking method. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference (P<0.05) for grain yield and most traits. The result showed that variety Akuri was the best yielder with seed yield 2558kg/ha, followed by harbu (2300.5kg/ha) and Kobo (1922.5kg/ha), respectively. Grain yield was the first prioritized trait to farmers for selecting the best adaptable chickpea variety under irrigation. Akuri was the best variety based on ANOVA result and visually selected by the farmers as good for grain yield under irrigation followed by Harbu and Kobo. Therefore; based on researchers’ and farmers’ perception Akuri and Harbu varieties will be recommended and pre-scale up for producing areas in the district and similar agro-ecological zones under irrigation production system

Keywords

Kabuli type chickpea, irrigation, Grain yield, Farmers’ preferences