The work being done to develop and identify barley varieties most suitable for the local environment in Tigray was interesting and new knowledge for Mr. Kjemperud and others in the group following him to his visit to Tigray. Results show that traditional varieties are performing best.
However, testing plants on distant research stations do not always reflect the real conditions of the farmers.
- Farmers should be participating in the testing and selection of new varieties on the ground in their field, says Dr. Fetien Abay.
Her research shows that farmers in dry Tigray in North Ethiopia can benefit more from the local barley type than the improved varieties in these harsh conditions.
Dr. Fetien Abay at Mekelle University in Ethiopia has done research on various types of barley where they found out that improved varieties are either inferior or not better than the local types of barley.
She says that varieties developed by the farmer themselves should be more recognized. Kahsay Negash is a farmer who has tested and developed his own varieties. This variety is locally called Himblil and Fetien Abay thinks this barley type should be formally released and produced. Then other farmers can benefit from Kahsay Negash work of selection. Himblil was also the variety that the farmers in the research preferred.
Reason for not adopting
When new varieties are introduced and the farmers are not adopting it, it’s a reason, is one of Fetien Abay’s conclusions. She recommends that it should be a strong collaboration with farmers while testing and introducing seeds.
The reason that the farmer preferred Himblil was not the higher yield, but because giving more stable yield and not being so vulnerable in the local climate.
- Breeding for drought and water logging resistance is the best strategy to provide stable and high-yielding varieties in Tigray, confirms Dr.Fetien Abay. She recommends also very strongly that breeding programs and release committees include farmer when identifying relevant traits.
Barley Association
When Dr. Fetien Abay and Åsmund Bjørnstad from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) introduced the work of “Participatory varietal selection of barley varieties in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia” a group of farmers spontaneously funded the “Association for Barley”. They are experimenting with different barley varieties and discussing different issues concerning growing barley.
-We have to acknowledge that the farmers have a lot of knowledge, say Fetien and bring forward farmer Kahsay Negash as a very good example. It is important that his knowledge is documented so that other farmers can benefit from his skills and knowledge.
She hopes that more research in the future can include farmer’s participation in the same way that her research with barley has, and also that “Association for Barley” will be expanded.
Dr. Fetien Abay Ph.D : “Diversity, adaptation and G x E interaction of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties in Northern Ethiopia” is assessable on the internet : www.umb.no/22820