Coffea arabica L. belongs to the Rubiaceae family, and the genus Coffea is believed to have a primary center of origin and genetic variability in the highlands of southwestern Ethiopia. It is a vital beverage commodity across the world and a valuable export product, ranking second in international trade after petroleum. Ethiopia is among the top five major coffee-producing countries and is Africa’s leading producer. However, its full production capacity has not yet been exploited, and research efforts to reduce biotic and abiotic factors through reproduction have been extremely limited. Hence, improvement through different breeding methods is essential to overcome the constraints in its production. Thus, the objective of this study is to review the different breeding methods applied for different traits in Ethiopia. Breeding methods depend on the type and the source of traits and the final breeding objectives. The main breeding objectives are production, resistance/tolerance to diseases, and cup quality. The commonly applied breeding methods are selected and intra-specific hybridization, germplasm enhancement, and the development of improved varieties with wider adaptability. There is also a practice of crossing parental lines selected for certain desirable traits for the development of hybrid varieties. Accordingly, some promising success has been obtained. Forty-one coffee varieties have been released so far. Because conventional breeding methods are time-consuming, integrating conventional breeding methods with biotechnological techniques could have an instrumental role in the rapid development of suitable varieties for the changing climate.

Food and nutrition security is not only addressed by increasing production alone, it should also ensure by reducing food loss. Onion has a great contribution to both economic and health issues, however, its production and productivity in the country is low. Thus, the study was initiated to identify multiple constraints on onion production and postharvest handling practices and to determine the extent of postharvest loss along the supply chain in northwestern Ethiopia. The survey was conducted on production, marketing, and consumption at farm, wholesale, retailer, and consumers level. The multistage sampling procedure was employed. The present results revealed that sex, age, educational level, production experience, land covered by onion, and household size has a significant influence on onion production. Sex, age, education level, active household size, selling experience, amount purchased, and storage duration have a significant association with onion production and postharvest loss. Major onion production and post-harvest loss constraints were high perishability, nature of the crop, market, linkage problem and low market price, lack of awareness of using post-harvest technologies, absence of better storable varieties, shortage of fertilizer access, disease and insect pests. The whole purchased produce never reached the consumer's hands. The total postharvest loss of onion at the farmer, wholesale, retail, and consumer level was found to be 29.775%, of which the higher proportion of losses (35.5%) was observed at the farmer's level. Based on the findings of the present study, onion producers were challenged by timely and adequate supplies and unfair, high cost of major production inputs, and high post-harvest loss. Therefore, producers and handlers in each supply chain need to be trained on affordable and applicable postharvest technologies. In addition, continuous capacity-building training, improving infrastructures, and input access along the supply chain should be designed and implemented to improve better crop management and postharvest handling practices. Moreover, marketing cooperatives working on onion postharvest handling and marketing systems should be functional to absorb surplus production and ensure continuous supply to the market. Thus, meaningful interventions in the development and implementation of policy on sustainable production, handling practices, and supply of onion should be designed.

In developing countries, food systems are mainly characterized by unorganized, traditional supply chains, and limited market infrastructure. Bulk quantity of the harvested produce is lost every year because of the absence of proper postharvest handling and management practices. The current study was conducted to estimate and identify the major causes for postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables in Debre Markos, north-western Ethiopia. Forty respondents who were retailing fruits and vegetables were randomly selected and qualitative and quantitative data were collected by using direct market observation and semistructured questioners. The result of the present study revealed significant differences between sociodemographic factors, handling practices, and postharvest loss. Educational status, selling experience, and packaging material have a significant relationship with postharvest loss. A significant difference was obtained among the transportation methods used, the selling place, storage methods, and materials. The result also indicated that fewer than 20 percent of respondents practiced selling fruits and vegetables in the resident mini shop. The majority of damaged produce was sold at a discount price. Retailers do not have formal knowledge of postharvest handling practices. The average postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables were estimated to be five to eighty-three percent of the market share. Mainly, during retailing, rotting, mechanical damage, poor handling, improper management of temperature and relative humidity, and hygiene problems during handling are among the major causes of postharvest losses. To reduce the high postharvest loss and supply quality products for consumers throughout the year, intervention activities such as the construction of permanent selling place for perishables, practicing various evaporative cooling technologies, outset training, awareness creation, and infrastructures should be effectively and urgently addressed.

Medicinal plants play important roles in human and animals disease treatment. 1000 medicinal plant species are identified and reported in the Ethiopian Flora. They contribute and is more preferable for new drug development. Ethiopia has the potential to become an important source country, given the diversity of plants and the rich traditional knowledge regarding their use. The main sources of medicinal plants for utilizers are the wild forests. There is also cultivation practice of medicinal plants in home garden. About 80% of human and 90% of livestock population in Ethiopia depends on utilization of medicinal plants for primary health care. The knowledge transfer of medicinal plants in Ethiopia is largely oral. Most parts of medicinal plants commonly used are leaves and roots. Utilization of leaves for drug preparation is important for conservation of medicinal plants since harvesting leaves may not cause detrimental effect on the plants compared to the root or whole plant collections. Medicinal plants play a crucial role in health care needs in Ethiopia, because modern health care do not have adequate and equitable health service. Moreover, they depend on medicinal plants due to financial limitations related to rapid population growth and poor economic performance. In Ethiopia the market for essential oils of medicinal plants is very high and increasing in alarming rate. In the year 2011, 1,596.5 tons of essential oils of medicinal plants was imported and more than 30 million USD spent. Through increasing production potential and modernizing the sector of medicinal plants, they play a great role to substitute import and export. Medicinal plants have great potential to contribute to economic development and poverty alleviation in Ethiopia. Environmental degradation, deforestation, agricultural expansion over exploitation and population growth is the principal threats to medicinal plants in Ethiopia. Key words: Medicinal plants, utilization, economic role.

Introduction: Onion is a significant vegetable crop in Ethiopia, serving as a source of income for smallholder farmers. However, various challenges in the production and post-harvest handling processes impede a consistent supply and marketing of the crop. This study focused on a comprehensive analysis of the onion supply chain, ranging from production to post-harvest handling, to address the existing production and marketing processes. The research initiative was undertaken to map the onion supply chain from farmers to consumers, intending to establish an improved marketing system in northwest Ethiopia.Methods: The study area covered three onion-producing districts of the Amhara Region. Data collection involved interviews, observations, and market assessments using a structured questionnaire. Sampling followed a multistage technique. The analysis included descriptive statistics and food system analysis to map the supply chain and estimate marketing margins.Results and Discussion: Post-harvest loss in onion production presents a major obstacle in the farming sector, impacting its growth. The study identified six alternative channels for onion marketing where different actors are involved throughout the supply chain. Key stakeholders include farmers, local collectors, brokers, transporters, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. Packaging and sorting activities are implemented at different supply chain stages to minimize post-harvest losses. Farm-level activities, including curing, sorting, grading, and ventilating, are crucial for reducing losses. The perishable nature of onion bulbs and the existing production and handling challenges exacerbate post-harvest losses. Efforts to address this challenge demand a comprehensive approach, integrating interventions across the value chain, from improved cultivars and storage infrastructure to enhanced market access strategies. Hence, stakeholders and governmental organizations are urged to promote onion value-addition technologies, including the establishment of processing industries. Such endeavors promote collaborative efforts across the onion supply chain, ensuring sustainable benefits for producers and traders.

A research was conducted at Debre Markos, North West Ethiopia in 2015. The objective of the study was to evaluate different rate of nitrogen fertilizer on growth and yield of cabbage. The experment was laidout in randomized complete block design with four treatments and three replication. Nitrogen fertilizer have no significant effect on plant height and number of outer leaves, while leaf length, leaf width, head diameter, head fresh weight and head dry weight had significant effect on cabbage. The widest leaf width (21.86 cm) was recorded from 150 kg/ ha and followed by 100 kg/ ha, while the narrowest leaf width (16.93 cm) was from 0 kg/ ha N. The highest leaf length (20.1 cm) obtained was from 150 kg/ ha and the lowest leaf length (16.166 cm) was obtained from 0 kg/ ha. The highest head diameter (11.043 cm) was obtained from 150 kg/ ha, while the lowest head diameter was 8.696 cm noticed from 0 kg/ha. The highest fresh weight (0.771 kg/plant) was recorded from 150 kg/ ha and the lowest (0.442 kg/plant) was from 0 kg/ ha. The highest dry weight (0.114 kg/plant) was recorded from 150 kg/ ha while the lowest (0.0437 kg/plant) dry weight was obtained from 0 kg/ha of Nitrogen. Key words: Cabbage, nitrogen, yield.