Performance Evaluation of Kabuli Chickpea ( Cicer a rietinum L.) Varieties at Buno Bedele Zone, South-western Oromia

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crops grown in the highland areas of Ethiopia, serving as a major source of food, income, and soil fertility improvement. However, its productivity remains low due to limited adoption of high-yielding and well-adapted varieties. Information on the performance of Kabuli chickpea varieties under the agro ecological conditions of the Buno Bedele Zone is limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted under rain-fed conditions at Chora and Gechi districts of the Buno Bedele Zone, southwestern Oromia, Ethiopia, during the 2023 and 2024 main cropping seasons. The objective of the study was to identify adaptable, stable, high-yielding, and disease- and insect-tolerant Kabuli chickpea varieties for the study area. Six improved Kabuli chickpea varieties (Ejeri, Asnake, Dhera, Koka, Habru, and Hora) were evaluated using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, hundred-seed weight, and grain yield, and analyzed using R statistical software. The analysis revealed significant (P < 0.05) differences among varieties for days to flowering, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, hundred-seed weight, and grain yield, whereas plant height was not significantly affected. The highest grain yield was obtained from Koka (1568.04 kg ha -1 ), followed by Habru (1271.81 kg ha -1 ), while Hora produced the lowest grain yield (865.83 kg ha -1 ). Based on grain yield performance and adaptability across environments, Koka and Habru were identified as the most promising varieties and are recommended for cultivation in the study area and similar agroecologies, with further promotion through demonstration and scaling-up activities.