Efficient conservation and subsequent utilization of genetic resources are primarily dependent on the strength in the assessment of variation among genotypes. An experiment was carried out aiming at determining the extent of phenotypic variability present in a panel of 320 barley genotypes and identifying candidate lines for further evaluation in improvement programs and successive utilization. It was conducted at two locations in Ethiopia, Aris Negelle and Holetta in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 cropping seasons. Among the best 30 lines for grain yield across all the environments, lines from farmers’ varieties constitute 73% and lines that mature in less than 85 days were identified. Based on the spike row number, the best-performing lines combined across all the environments were six-rowed types. Based on the two years’ data at Arsi Negelle the two-rowed spike type dominates, and at Holetta the six-rowed type. After principal component analysis, the first three PCs with an eigenvalue greater than one explained 70% of the variation. The correlation coefficient between grain and biomass yield was significant and though low (r = 0.38***). Significant, high, and negative correlation coefficient (−0.72***) was observed between 1000 kernel weight and the number of seeds per spike. A positive correlation between biomass and grain yield attracts farmers as a feed and food crop as it has also been signified in the current research. Having the improved barley gene pool largely from international sources, combining the improved materials with farmers’ varieties may minimize the existing gap between the local and improved barley gene pool.

Background: Evaluation of the extent of genetic variation within and between the populations of crop genetic resources are of paramount importance in any breeding program. An experiment aimed at assessing the extent of variation among barley lines and the degree of association between hordein polypeptide and agronomic traits was hence executed. Methods: Field experiment was conducted in six environments between 2017–2019 involving 19 barley lines. Hordein bands were separated using vertical Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Poly- acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results: The analysis of variance revealed significant variation among lines and wider range units were observed for the agronomic traits. The line (Acc# 16,811–6) was superior, producing the highest grain yield (2.97 ton ha⁻¹) across environments, 3.6 ton ha⁻¹ at Holleta, and 1.93 ton ha⁻¹ at Chefedonsa. At Arsi Negelle a different line Acc# 17146–9 was the highest yielding (3.15ton ha⁻¹). SDS-PAGE-based analysis of barley lines separated 12 hordein bands between C (four bands) and B (eight bands) subunits. Interestingly bands 52, 46a, and 46b were uniquely conserved in the four naked barley lines (Acc#16809–14,16956–11, 17240–3, 17244–19). A considerably high proportion of genetic diversity within the populations than among the populations could be a repercussion of high gene flow which substantiates the longstanding and dominant informal seed exchange system among the farmers. The significant positive association between grain yield and band 50 evocates the expression of this allele may code for higher grain yield. The negative association between days to maturity and band 52 perhaps stipulates earliness in barely lines upon the manifestation of the band. Band 52 and 60 appeared to be associated with more than one agronomic trait (days to maturity and thousand kernel weight; grain filling period and grain yield respectively) and could be the result of pleiotropic characteristics of the genes residing in these banding regions. Conclusion: The barley lines exhibited substantial variation for hordein protein and agronomic traits. However, imparted the need for the implementation of decentralized breeding as a consequence of genotype-by-environment interaction. Significant hordein polypeptide and agronomic traits association advocated the utilization of hordein as a protein marker and perhaps consider them in the parental line selection.

Chickpea is an important cash crop for Ada'a farmers as it does for farmers in Ethiopia and elsewhere in the world. Its production, however, has been dwindling due to biotic and abiotic stresses. According to participant farmers from Ada'a district, the production of chickpea in some Kebeles of Ada'a such as Gubasaye has been abandoned because of root rot and foliar diseases such as fusarium wilt. This paper presents the evaluation of upscaled varieties' performance assessed by metric data as well as through beneficiary farmers' self-assessment data. Recognizant to the problem, five varieties of chickpea tested in the Goro district of the Southwest Shoa zone, were introduced as part of the upscaling of crowdsourcing winner crop varieties in Ethiopia. Crowdsourcing is an approach of outsourcing variety evaluation, selection, and dissemination to volunteer crowds of farmers. The introduction of the winner varieties and adjustment of the planting time was found effective in the Ada'a district. Higher grain yield was obtained from the upscaled winner varieties in the range of 2.4–2.53 t/ha, with slight variations over varieties. Habru variety showed slightly higher performance than the others. Survey participant farmers have reported an increase in GY due to growing the winner varieties compared with varieties they used to grow before and gained higher annual income due to higher productivity, market demand of the upscaled varieties, and premium market price with 6–25 Ethiopian birr (ETB) per kilogram of sold grain of these varieties. High productivity is attributed to the genetic potential of the varieties, their response to farm management, and better adaptation to the local growing conditions. Participant farmers perceived that their livelihood has been improving because of the adoption of the upscaled varieties' productivity and market demand. The annual income of participant farmers is estimated to be 2500 to 181,000 ETB for growing the winner varieties. The results indicate that upscaling pre-tested chickpea varieties and delaying their planting time to early September are effective mechanisms for reducing yield loss to fusarium wilt and root rot diseases. It can be inferred that using the crowdsourcing approach for variety evaluation and selection for upscaling is a robust approach to improve the adoption and dissemination of improved agricultural technologies.