Scaling innovative crop varieties and management for diverse and resilient production in North Shewa and Hadiya Zones in Ethiopia

Abstract

Early generation and community-based seed production, scaling of improved faba bean and food oat varieties and faba bean gall disease management were done to enhance productivity, crop diversification and adoption in north Shoa Zone. Early generation seeds of faba bean cultivars Shewa and Walki were multiplied on 0.77 ha, producing 2.15 tons of breeder and pre basic seed for the 2025/26 cropping season. Scaling of high-yielding varieties Shewa and Hachalu through cluster-based community seed production covered 16.61 ha involving 39 farmers, while 1,585 farmers, including 182 women, accessed 148.5 tons of Shewa seed through farmer-to-farmer exchange, supported by the Sustainable Intensification of the Mixed Farming System (SI-MFS) initiative and partners such as the Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA), Gondar Agricultural Research Center, Debark Union, and district agricultural offices. Seed treatment with Noble 25% WP effectively controlled faba bean gall disease on 30 ha managed by 65 farmers. Five improved food oat varieties were evaluated on acid-affected soils, with Richoat performing best for adaptability, frost resistance, and seed yield, and Tena being early maturing and palatable for livestock. Training and field days engaged 74 participants and 405 attendees, respectively, to enhance knowledge of improved crop management practices. Apple variety evaluation identified Anna as the top performer, with 86 seedlings distributed to 19 households. In Hadiya zone, community seed production of bread wheat, food legumes and food oat will facilitate scaling of the innovation in the coming cropping season. The results demonstrated that integrated approaches combining improved varieties, farmer-to-farmer seed systems, disease management, and capacity building effectively increase crop productivity, adoption, and resilience. These interventions provide a scalable model for improving food legume and cereal production across diverse Ethiopian agro-ecologies