Exploration and collection of root and tuber crops in East Wollega and Ilu Ababora zones: Rescuing declining genetic resources

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-GB">Root and tuber crops play significant role in the food security of the local people. Especially, in South and Southwestern parts of Ethiopia, there is a long history of cultivation and use of the crops. Exploration and collection of root and tuber crops were undertaken in East Wollega and Ilu Ababora zones. A total of 76 root and tuber crops germplasm were collected in the present study. The production of these crops depended mainly on few declining local varieties. Farmers have identified two distinct local varieties for root yam (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">buri adii</i> & <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">buri deema</i>) and Ethiopian potato (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">green leaved</i> & <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">dark green leaved</i>), respectively. The highest collection (34%) was for yams. The altitudinal ranges of the collections were between 1597 m and 2453 m. The collected germplasm were conserved in cold room and field gene bank of the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute. Interviewed farmers reported that the production and the number of local varieties of root and tuber crops maintained on individual farms have been declining since the past decade. The major factors limiting the production and sustainable use of root and tuber crops are displacement by other crops, little research attention, drought, short shelf life, shortage of planting materials, limited knowledge of youth and pests.</span>