Wheat Production and Research in Ethiopia

Transcription

1 1 Wheat Production and Research in Ethiopia Hailu Gebre-Mariam IAR, P.O. Box 2003 Addis Ababa Summary Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in sub-saharan Africa with about 0.75 million ha of durum and bread wheat. Wheat is one of the major cereal crops in the Ethiopian highlands, which range between 6 and 16 N, 35 and 42 E, and from 1500 to 2800 m. At present, wheat is produced solely under rainfed conditions. About 60% of the wheat area is covered by durum and 40% by bread wheat. Of the current total wheat production area, 75.5% is located in Arsi, Bale and Shewa regions. Forty-six percent of the 13 million ha classified as highly suitable for wheat production is located in Arsi and Shewa. Altitude plays an important role in the distribution of wheat production through its influence on rainfall, temperature, and diseases. In Arsi, Bale and Shewa regions, the soil, moisture and disease conditions in the m altitude zone are favorable for the production of early and intermediate maturing varieties of bread wheat. This is estimated to comprise 25% of the total wheat area, while the remaining 75% falls in the m altitude zone. There, early, intermediate and late varieties are grown. Soil types used for wheat production vary from well-drained fertile soils to waterlogged heavy Vertisols. Wheat research in Ethiopia can be divided into 4 periods. Prior to 1930, research dealt mainly with germplasm collection, identification, and characterization. From , introduction, hybridization and selection began, culminating in the release of Kenya 1 and 5. This work continued at Debre Zeit and other stations during the period when 6 cultivars were released. The national wheat improvement

2 2 program has been organized most effectively from During these 24 years, a comprehensive program has developed and 30 improved wheat varieties have been released. Wheat research is handled nationally by a multidisciplinary team of experts from different institutions organized into 2 components, one dealing with bread wheat and the other with durum wheat. Strategically, the national wheat research horizontal dimension of the program addresses the highlands of 6 major wheat producing regions each served by a research center. Specific breeding and evaluation programs have been designed for areas with special production problems. Depending on the production zone, both small and large-scale producers are in the target groups. Vertically, the program has the following technology generation and transfer components: breeding and genetics research, wheat pathology and entomology, wheat agronomy and weed control, soil fertility and fertilizer use, agricultural economics, and research and extension. Introduction Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in sub-saharan Africa with about 0.75 million ha of durum and bread wheat. Wheat is one of the major cereal crops grown in the Ethiopian highlands, which lie between 6 and 16 N and 35 and 42 E, at altitudes ranging from 1500 to 3000 in (Fig. 1.1). The most suitable areas for wheat production, however, fall between 1900 and 2700 m. In the highlands, rainfall distribution is bimodal and ranges between 600 and 2000 mm/annum. The rainy season is divided into the short rains (belg) falling from February to April and the main rains (meher) falling from June to September. At present, wheat is produced solely under rainfed conditions. Currently, about 60% of the wheat area is covered by durum and 40% by bread wheat. The estimate for 1967 consisted of about 15% for bread wheat and 85% for durum. In this introductory chapter, wheat production trends, regional distribution, the agroecological environment of wheat production, a historical sketch of wheat research in Ethiopia, and the current wheat research organization are briefly reviewed.

3 3 Figure 1.1. Major and minor wheat production areas in Ethiopia, indicating major cooperating centers for wheat research. Source: Land Use Planning and Regulatory Dept., MOA.

4 4 Wheat Production Trends Wheat is the fifth most important cereal crop both in area and production after tef, maize, barley and sorghum. Export of Ethiopian wheat flour increased yearly until the late 1940s; since then, however, due to the growing demand for wheat in the post-war period, wheat product exports declined. Early in the 1950s, flour mills in Addis Ababa received high quality wheat from areas such as Dese, Holetta and Bishoftu. Between , Ethiopia exported t of cereals and pulses with a total value of million birr; however, in 1957, Ethiopia became a net grain importer. The magnitude of grain imports, primarily wheat, has increased since then: in the period, Ethiopia imported t annually on average (12). In 1961, the wheat area was estimated at about ha, producing t. Over the last 11 years, wheat area averaged ha, producing t annually (Fig 1.2). Currently, bread wheat is estimated to occupy ha, producing some t. Over the last 4 years, the state farm sector has produced t annually on ha (Table 1.1). From 1982/83 to 1985/86, the Ethiopian Food Corporation (EFC) used an average of t of wheat, producing t of flour annually. Compared to the 1987/88 requirement of t, the projected requirement of wheat for flour production for 1999/2000 is t. During the 9 year period, 1980/81-88/89, the EFC utilized a total of 2.05 million t of wheat of which 42.5% was produced locally and 57.5% was imported (Table 1.2). The annual utilization rate was t which is about 50% of EFC's 1987/88 wheat requirement. Figure 1.2. Wheat and total cereal production in Ethiopia, (Sources: 1-7).

5 5 Table 1.1. Cereal production on state farms ( ) 1986/ / / /90 All cereals ha ('900) t ('000) Wheat ha ('000) t ('000) Wheat as % of cereal area Wheat as % of cereal production Source: Ministry of State Farms Development Table 1.2 Wheat grain used by the Ethiopian Food Corporation (EFC) and its projected requirements Av. Annual wheat supply and requirements Period Local (t) Foreign (t) Total (t) Local Supply (%) Region 80/81-82/ / /87-88/ / / / Source: EFC Table 1.3. Cereal and wheat production by region (1987/88) Area ('000 ha) Production ('000 t) Cereal Wheat Cereal Wheat Arsi-Bale Shewa Gojam-Gonder Welo Harerge Welega-Kefa Ilubabor Gamo Gofa-Sidamo Source: (1). % of cereal production

6 6 It is certain that dietary habits have changed significantly in market-dependent areas over the last 3 decades, increasing the demand for wheat. Based on a conservative estimate of 25 kg/ capita/year wheat consumption, Ethiopia's present annual wheat requirement is estimated to be 1.2 million t. By 2000 and 2010 the requirement will be 1.6 and 2.0 million t, respectively. To meet the demand in the year 2000, it will be necessary to increase the current cultivated wheat area to ha and boost the national average yield to 1.8 t/ha from its current level of 1.2 t/ha. Regional Distribution of Production Nastasi reported in 1964 that the provinces of Begemdir, Eritrea, Gojam, Harar, Shewa, Tigray, and Welo were major wheat producing areas (14). At present, 75.5 % of the total wheat production comes from Arsi, Bale, and Shewa regions (Table 1.3). Forty-six percent of the 1.3 million ha classified as highly suitable for wheat production is found in Arsi and Shewa. The regions identified as highly suitable for wheat production include Arsi, S. Shewa, W. Shewa, N. Shewa, Ilubabor, W. Harerge, Sidamo, Tigray, N. Gonder, Bale and Gojam (Table 1.4). The bulk of the wheat crop is grown during the meher season. In 1987/88, only 4% of the total wheat area was planted during the belg season. However, in the private sector, the highest average yield was recorded during belg: 1.6 vs. 1.2 t/ha in the belg and meher seasons, respectively. The Agro-ecological Environment of Wheat Production The Ethiopian tetraploid wheats, which are traditionally grown as mixtures of different varieties and even species, are adapted to the varied climatic conditions of the country, whereas wheat germplasm introduced during the 1930s and 1940s by the Italians either disappeared totally or became a minor component of the present mixtures (14).

7 7 Region Table 1.4. Land suitability for wheat production by region Highly suitable land area ( 000) Presently under wheat ( 000) % Arsi-Bale Shewa Gojam-Gonder Harerge Welega-Kefa- Ilubabor Gamo Gofa-Sidamo Eritrea-Tigray Welo Source: Land Use and Regulatory Dept., MOA Altitude plays an important role in the distribution of wheat production through its influence on rainfall, temperature, diseases and pests. In addition to overall productivity, elevation influences plant characters such as caryopsis structure and pigmentation of glumes and awns. It has been reported that wheat grown at higher altitudes ( m) has vitreous kernels and deeper pigmentation of the spikes, which may be melanic or anthocyanic, while wheat grown at lower altitudes ( m) exhibits yellow-berry kernel symptoms and a complete absence of pigmentation of the glumes and awns. Elevations between 2000 and 2200 m seem to be transitional zones, where mixed symptoms of both pigmentation and yellow-berry can be observed (14). Soil types and moisture regimes of the wheat producing regions vary from area to area. In Arsi, Bale, and Shewa regions, where about 85% of the bread wheat is presently grown, the soil moisture and disease conditions in the m altitude zone are favorable for the production of early and intermediate maturing varieties of bread wheat area while the remaining 75% falls in the m altitude zone. The soil types used for wheat production vary from well-drained fertile soils to waterlogged heavy Vertisols. An estimated 75 % of durum wheat is grown in Eritrea, Gojam, Gonder, Shewa and Tigray regions. In these durum wheat producing regions, there are also 2 major altitude zones. These are the 1500-

8 m zone which is suitable for short and intermediate season varieties and the m zone where intermediate season varieties are grown. The incidence of the different wheat diseases varies with altitude and other climatic factors. Stripe rust, for example, used to be limited mainly to high altitude, cooler areas but has now extended its adaptation to lower and warmer altitudes. Wheat Research in Ethiopia Wheat research in Ethiopia can be divided into four periods: The Period Prior to 1930 Prior to 1930, wheat research dealt mainly with scientific expeditions, germplasm collection, identification and characterization. Early in the 16th century, the Portuguese worked their way to Africa and established trade missions and an embassy in Ethiopia. Later, several European scientific expeditions to Ethiopia were recorded by various plant explorers. Koernicke and Werner in 1885 made the first description of some Ethiopian wheats and identified 5 species and 9 varieties (13). Chiovenda wrote, in 1912, about Ethiopian wheats and reported T. dicoccum, T. durum, T. polonicum and T. vulgare types (7). Later, Percival in 1927 (15), Vavilov in 1929 and 1932 (17, 18) and Ciferri and Giglioli in 1939 (8, 9, 10) undertook expeditions and reported on Ethiopian wheat germplasm. The Period between 1930 and 1952 The collection and evaluation of indigenous wheat and the introduction of exotic germplasm for testing under local conditions began early in the 1930s. During this period, several wheat varieties were introduced from Europe and yielded satisfactorily until they succumbed to diseases. On the other hand, the local varieties produced consistent and reasonable yields because of their good adaptation. As a result, good quality local wheats were grown at Ambo, Dese, Gonder, Holetta, Addis Ababa, Sishoftu and Debre Berhan areas during this period. The cultivars known by the late 1940s included Aless, Badeghe, Eloboni, Hanzat, Kodo, Manna, Ruso, Shecona Adghi and several emmer wheat varieties. A formal wheat improvement program started in 1949 at the Paradiso Government Station near Asmara with the testing of large numbers of indigenous and exotic varieties. As a result, some promising local variety selections, including A10, R18, P20 and H23, and 3 bread wheat varieties of Kenyan

9 9 origin, namely Kenya 1, 5 and 6, were released during the early 1950s. The Period Between 1953 and 1966 Wheat research continued at Paradiso, Debre Zeit, Alemaya and Kulumsa during the period In the north, as the Kenyan varieties increased in hectareage, they became susceptible to stem and leaf rust. Therefore, the program at Paradiso looked for other international sources of germplasm and identified and released 2 varieties of Mexican origin in At the same time, the station initiated hybridization amongst local and exotic durum wheats. The main objective of these crosses was to incorporate stem rust and leaf rust resistance in the high quality, disease susceptible introduced durum varieties (14). The College of Agriculture, using the Debre Zeit Experiment Station, Jima Agricultural and Technical School and the Extension Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, strengthened its wheat research activities by obtaining nursery materials from Paradiso and also external sources. The major research activities included germplasm screening, variety testing, crop management studies and seed increase. This effort resulted in the release of 6 bread wheat varieties plus the multiplication and distribution of seed of the varieties Kenya 1 and Kenya 5 in the Shewa and Arsi highlands (16). The Period Between 1967 and 1990 The establishment of the Institute of Agricultural Research (LAR) in 1966 was followed by the creation of several other research and development institutions, resulting in an effectively organized national wheat research program. In addition to a chain of stations and substations under IAR and the Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, other important agricultural research and development organizations which came into being since 1967 have contributed directly or indirectly to wheat research in the country. These institutions include the National Crop Improvement Conference (NCIC), Chilalo Agricultural Development Unit (CADU), Wolaita Agricultural Development Unit (WADU), Awasa Experiment Station, Ada Agricultural Development Project, Extension Project Implementation Department (EPID), Southern Region Agricultural Development Project (SORADEP), Plant Genetic Resources Center/Ethiopia (PGRCIE), Arsi Agricultural Development Unit (ARDU), Scientific Phytopathology Laboratory (SPL), Ministry of State Farms Development (MSFD), Ethiopian Seed Corporation (ESC), and the National Variety Release Committee (NVRC). The priorities given by the IAR for wheat research emphasized increased wheat production by concentrating on improved varieties with a package of cultural practices. IAR's wheat research

10 10 activities, in close collaboration with other organizations, have included: the use of international and national nurseries to identify desirable genotypes; the exploitation of the Ethiopian tetraploid wheat germplasm; the execution of an extensive national and regional variety testing program; the development of varieties through breeding; the coordination and execution of agronomic and crop management studies; and the multiplication and distribution of breeder and basic seed. Until 1974, the Debre Zeit A.R.C. was responsible for coordinating the national wheat program. Since 1975, the coordination of the national wheat research program was revised and organized into bread wheat and durum wheat components. The Holetta R.C. was made responsible for the coordination of bread wheat research while the durum wheat program was assigned to Debre Zeit. During the past 24 years, a comprehensive national wheat research program has been developed and more than 30 improved bread and durum wheat varieties have been released. At present, wheat is identified as one of the priority national commodity crops by the government with research headquarters at Kulumsa for bread wheat and at Debre Zeit for durum wheat. The Current National Wheat Research Program The National Wheat Research Program (NWRP) has a general objective of generating basic scientific information and applied technology to increase and sustain wheat production in Ethiopia. The program has 2 components, one dealing with bread wheat and the other with durum wheat. Each is coordinated by a program leader. Strategically, the NWRP has four dimensions. These are the horizontal (zonal), vertical (disciplinary), client (target group) and resource dimensions. The Zonal Dimension The horizontal dimension of the program addresses the highlands of 6 major wheat producing regions, namely Arsi, Bale, Shewa, Gojam, Gonder, and Tigray-Welo. Each of these regions is served by at least one major research center, namely Kulumsa, Sinana, Holetta and Debre Zeit, Adet, and Mekele, respectively. Within these regions, awrajas with high agro-ecological potential are given top priority. Applied research programs in the areas of germplasm development, varietal selection, crop protection, agronomy and crop management are developed for all the zones. Specific breeding,

11 11 selection, and crop, soil and water management programs have been designed for areas with special production problems. These areas of research include the development of varieties and crop management practices for drought and frost-prone regions, waterlogged Vertisols, and areas with low soil fertility or specific disease or pest problems. The Disciplinary Dimension Vertically, the NWRP has the following discipline-oriented technology generation and transfer components: breeding and genetics research, wheat pathology and entomology, wheat agronomy and weed control, soil fertility and fertilizer use, agricultural economics, and researchextension. Project development and implementation involve experts in the different disciplines to solve the multifaceted problems of wheat production. The Client Dimension The target groups of the NWRP are the producers and users. The producers include smallscale, private, subsistence, and resource-poor farmers, medium to large-scale commercial private farmers, and the large-scale state farms. The users include grain traders, the milling and food industry, and consumers. Wheat research projects are targeted to cater to, as much as possible, the specific needs of the different producer and user groups. The Resource Dimension The resource dimension of the NWRP deals with team organization, workforce and facility development, the program review and evaluation system, and cooperation. Wheat research is handled by a multidisciplinary team of experts from different research and development institutions. The development of a minimum critical mass of workforce, infrastructure and research facilities at Holetta, Kulumsa, Debre Zeit, and other major cooperating centers has been a central effort of the NWRP. In particular, the development and efficient deployment of a capable team of researchers has been crucial. Project review and evaluation by the national team has been developed effectively. Extensive national, regional and international cooperation in the exchange of information, germplasm, experience, and workforce development have significantly contributed to the success of the NWRP.

12 12 References 1. Central Statistical Authority (CSA) Agricultural sample survey, 1987/88. Addis Ababa: CSA. 2. Central Statistical Authority (CSA) Agricultural sample survey, 1988/89. Addis Ababa: CSA. 3. Central Statistical Authority (CSA) Agricultural sample survey, 1989/90. Addis Ababa: CSA. 4. Central Statistics Office (CSO) Time series data, Vol. I, 1979/ /84. Addis Ababa: CSO. 5. Central Statistics Office (CSO) Agricultural sample survey, 1984/ 85. Addis Ababa: CSO. 6. Central Statistics Office (CSO) Agricultural sample survey, 1985/86. Addis Ababa: CSO. 7. Central Statistics Office (CSO) Agricultural sample survey, 1986/ 87. Addis Ababa: CSO. 8. Chiovenda, E Ethiopia: Osservazioni botaniche, agrarie et indus trials. Fatte nell'abissinia settertrionale nell'anno Roma, Italy. 9. Ciferri, R., and G.R. Giglioli. 1939a, Cereal cultivation in East Africa (Ethiopia). 1. The hard (durum) wheats. L'Italia Agricola 76: Ciferri, R., and G.R. Giglioli. 1939b. Cereal cultivation in East Africa (Ethiopia). 2. The wheats (Tridcwn) pyrmnidale, turgidum, polonicum and dicoccum. L'Italia Agricola 76: Ciferri, R., and G.R. Giglioli. 1939c. Cereal cultivation in East Africa (Ethiopia). 3. The wheats (Triticum) vulgare and compactum. L'Italia Agricola. 76: Jamal Mohammed Potentials and possibilities of double-cropping wheat after cotton under irrigation in Awash Valley, Ethiopia. Ph.D. Thesis, Tropical Institute of Giessen University. 13. Koernicke, F., and H. Werner Handbuch des Getreidbaues. Vol. I and H. Paul Pares, Berlin, Germany. 14. Nastasi, V Wheat production in Ethiopia. Inf. Bull. on the Near East Wheat and Barley Improvement and Production Project. Vol. 1 (No. 3): Percival, J The coleoptile bundle of Indo-Abyssinian emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum Schubler). pp J. Bot. London, England. 16. Tesfaye Tesemma and Jamal Mohammed Review of wheat breeding in Ethiopia. Ethiop. J. Agric. Sci. 4: Vavilov, N.I Wheats of Ethiopia. Bull. Applied Botany, Genetics and Plant Breeding. 20: Vavilov, N.I The Abyssinian wheats. 'A contribution to the classi fication of 28 chromosome wheats. Bull. Applied Botany, Genetics and Plant Breeding Suppl. 51. Leningrad.