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Crop susceptibility to moisture content, quality of storage facilities in the farm contributes to fungal infections and mycotoxin contamination. Chickpea grain loss in many parts of the world has been due to inadequate and poor storage facilities, post-harvest activities leading to mycotoxins and fungal infections. The current research investigated the prevalence of fungal infection and mycotoxin level in farm chickpea across five major growing districts in Ethiopia. In the current study, fungal infection and mycotoxin concentrations were investigated in two Desi and Kabuli type varieties of samples containing 150 chickpea kernels collected from five districts in Ethiopia. Additionally, moisture content, relative humidity, and temperature were also investigated during sampling. Moisture levels ranged from 13.3 - 22.3% with a mean value of 16.4% across the five districts. There was no significant difference between the two varieties studied. Survey of different storage techniques used by farmers showed that polypropylene bags were most common and accounted for 54.7%, followed by gotta 45.3%. The total fungal infection in chickpea kernels across the sampled districts range 23 - 79%. Infection with Aspergillus genera was predominant, accounting for approximately 44.3% of the total (25 - 62.5%), followed by Penicillium spp. at 34.3% (10.9 - 55.3%) and Fusarium spp. 21.4% (9.6 - 42.3%) as the lowest. A cross the studied districts, chickpea germination ranged from 68.8% to 75.5%. Total aflatoxins levels ranged from 2.5 to 31.1 ppb and a mean of 17.4 ppb. Ochratoxin A concentrations ranged from 4.3 to 35.0 ppb, with a mean value of 10.6 ppb. Fumonisins (18.7%), ranged from 0.2 to 2.9 ppm and Deoxynivalenol (6.7%) ranged from 0.2 to 2.9 ppm. Chickpea samples had a high level of total aflatoxins (ppb), followed by ochratoxin A. Even though, the current co-occurrence of mycotoxins found is at low levels, it may adversely affect the health of regular consumers and the quality of Chickpea. Further investigations should be performed in different regions to help in advising and making decisions to the relevant government institutions on the appropriate measures to be undertaken.

Sixteen cultivars (three resistant species and thirteen susceptible cultivars to cochineal insects) were included in the experiment to evaluate their nutritional and chemical compositions and to determine the in vitro digestibility of cladodes of the Opuntia species. Cultivars showed highly significant (p < 0.001) differences in their chemical composition. The cultivars’ content of ash, crude protein (CP), dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and Cell (cellulose) varied, with ranges of 8.18–22.75%, 3.19–10.40%, 86.40–91.88%, 77.45–91.82%, 68.25–87.3%, 55.81–78.95%, 14.88–26.15%, 29.66–67.05% and 10.99–19.92%, respectively. The ash content showed a significant highly negative correlation with OM (r = −1.00; p < 0.001), IVDMD (r = −0.603; p < 0.001) and DOMD (r = −0.904; p < 0.001), respectively. The Garao, Aloqa and O. robusta var. X11 cultivars showed the highest similarities, as they are found close to the first branch of the dendrogram. In total, 90% of the variation among the nutritional traits was attributed to the first four PCs, with 55.97% to the first two principal components (PCs). The nutritional composition of the resistant species was greater than or equal to the susceptible ones.

Cultural Effects on Sorghum Varieties Grown, Traits Preferred, and Seed Management Practices in Northern Ethiopia. Agrobiodiversity is fundamentally shaped by farmers’ preferences and management practices, and these are again shaped by the farmers’ social and cultural background. This study investigates variety preferences and seed management practices in the crop sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) among the Kunama and the Tigrayan ethnolinguistic groups living side by side in Northern Ethiopia. Surveys were conducted in 10 villages located in two districts inhabited by the two ethnolinguistic groups and analyzed using descriptive and multinominal analysis. We find important differences in varieties grown across the ethnolinguistic groups, but we also find that ethnicity and geographic proximity interact and affect trait preference and seed management practices. Altogether, 22 varieties are cultivated, and few farmers cultivated improved varieties, especially among the Kunama. Respondents considered use traits as important as agronomic traits when selecting sorghum varieties. Notably, preferred use traits were not limited to food (e.g., construction materials were important for the Kunama), and preferred agronomic traits were not focused on drought resistance. Timing of seed selection, seed selection criteria (e.g., panicle size and color), and seed storage practices differed among the ethnic groups. Understanding cultural and social preferences towards sorghum varieties, their traits, and the criteria used for seed management is crucial for the success of crop breeding programs, climate change adaptation policies, and development interventions.

The Tigray region of Ethiopia is characterized by its smallholder and resource-constrained higher proportion of women-headed households. Despite dealing with various problems, these women farmers are very innovative agriculturists for their livelihoods. In this chapter we describe the needs and successes of partnerships with women farmers of the region and women breeders of Mekelle University in breeding location-specific varieties of barley. The resource-poor farmers of Tigray face severe droughts and hence prefer to continue growing their highly adapted landraces over the released varieties that grow well under irrigated high-input situations. Breeding for location specificity is the major priority in barley breeding that can be addressed through participatory approaches in plant breeding. In participation with farmers, we used a decentralized and highly client-oriented approach that led to the release of the Himblil variety as farmer bred and three varieties in farmer-breeder partnerships. Participatory varietal selection (PVS) in barley revealed preferences of farmers and selection of locally adapted varieties. Surveys revealed high impacts of PVS in increasing adoption and field biodiversity. Scaling up of barley varieties following cooperative seed production, dissemination, and field adoption was achieved. Additionally, we discuss the innovative usage of barley grain in diverse food preparations and upgrading of women’s food value chains for transforming trade of products that women specialize in.

The experiment was conducted on intercropping of lupine (Lupinus albus L.) with wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgar) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana) in 2009 at Adet Agricultural research station, in Western Gojam. The treatments were sole wheat at a seed rate of 175 kg/ha, sole barley at a seed rate of 125 kg/ha, sole finger millet at a seed rate of 30 kg/ha, sole lupine at a seed rate of 90 kg/ha, and an additive series of 25, 50 and 75% of the sole lupine seed rate combined with the full cereal seed rate to determine the effect of intercropping on competition (CR) among the different species, the land equivalent and area time equivalent ratios (LER and ATER); and the economic feasibility of each intercropping system(MAI) as compared with sole cropped. The experimental design was a completely randomized block with nine intercropping and four sole cropping systems in three replications. Lupine was planted in rows after establishment of main crops. JMP-5 (SAS, 2002) software’s was used to compute the analysis of variance. Partial LER of lupine was lower than LER of cereal, indicating an advantage for main crops and a disadvantage for the minor crop. Values of ATER showed 4.9%-31.3% and 11.1%-37.8% advantage in lupine-wheat and lupine-finger millet combinations, respectively, whilst lupine-barley combinations showed ATER of 54.5%-60.9% disadvantage. CR showed dominancy of wheat and barley over lupine while lupine was higher CR than finger millet. Positive MAI values were recorded in lupine-wheat and lupine-finger millet mixtures indicating that these intercropping systems were a definite yield advantage and the most profitable as compared to sole cropped. In conclusion, the lupine-finger millet mixture at the 50:100 seeding ratio and 75:100 seeding ratio; and lupine-wheat mixture at the 75:100 seeding ratio indicated a significant advantage from intercropping which was attributed to better MAI and land use efficiency (higher LER and ATER), lower CR and thereby enhanced sustainability of crop production in West Gojam, but the other socio-economic and cost of production aspects of intercropping should also be assessed especially under small scale farmers’ conditions.

The understanding of the interactive effects of abiotic stresses is a crucial issue for improving cereal production in arid environment. For this reason, study was conducted in northern Ethiopia, Tigray region in three sites characterized by different climatic conditions during the cropping season of 2009/10 to understand the agronomic responses of the barley crop to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization rates combined with supplementary irrigation. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers were applied under three water regimes to 'Sasa' barley variety using split - split plot design with three replications where the sites were treated as a main plot, water regimes assigned to the sub-plot and N and P fertilizers to the sub-subplot. fertilizers and sites had significant (p