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Bahir Dar city has suitable agro-ecologies for production of different types of fruits and vegetables, but unfortunately the area allotted for these crops, and their production and productivity are very low. There is a dearth of research and documentation on household gardens in the town. The present study attempted to assess the home garden species diversity, composition, challenges and to keep the documentation about home gardening as special references for horticultural crops in Bahir Dar city. The research was carried out in seven selected sub-cities of Bahir Dar between September and June 2020. Semi-structured questioners and interviews, as well as home garden visits, were used to collect data. 302 families were chosen based on the availability of kitchen gardening space and where kitchen gardening is already done. According to the findings of this study, home gardens in Bahir Dar city had a high species diversity and a diverse composition (especially horticultural crops) such as mango, avocado, papaya, head cabbage, tomato, and lettuce. Furthermore, as a source of additional food, home gardens significantly benefit both the gardener and society as well as income, and environmental improvement of the community. However, insufficient agricultural support encourages the use of pesticides, and small garden sizes reduce diversity of species and production. If interested organizations and scholars give these issues some thought, the hotspot will continue to sustainably support home gardening and its current biodiversity in the future.

Abstract Hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops produced in Ethiopia. However, production and productivity of the crop is far below the world average, which is mostly associated with soil fertility depletions as a result of inappropriate application of fertilizer. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic eco-green and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer on the growth and green pod yield of hot pepper during the growing season of 2019/2020. The experiment was designed in factorial combinations of four levels of N (0, 59, 82 and 105 kg ha−1) and four levels of eco-green (0, 75, 125 and 175 L ha−1) which were laid down in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results revealed that application of N and eco-green (EG) fertilizers very highly significantly (P

Abstract Horticultural crops, encompassing fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs, play a critical role in providing nutrition and health‐promoting compounds. However, their limited storability challenges producers and exporters, resulting in significant postharvest losses. Traditional preservation methods like cold storage, controlled atmosphere storage and packaging techniques have been employed to prolong shelf life, but they have their constraints. Biotechnological interventions, notably genetic engineering, offer promising avenues to address these limitations. Genetic modifications target physiological processes such as ripening and ethylene production, enhancing resistance to postharvest diseases and improving nutritional profiles. For instance, genetically modified tomatoes with prolonged shelf life and reduced susceptibility to fungal infections showcase the potential of genetic engineering. Similarly, genetic modification has been successfully applied to various horticultural crops like apples, bananas and mushrooms, resulting in decreased browning and heightened disease resistance. Emerging technologies such as modified atmosphere packaging, edible coatings and nanoparticle treatments further augment efforts to extend shelf life. Despite their benefits, the debate surrounding genetically modified fruits and vegetables persists due to concerns regarding environmental impact, health implications and ethical considerations. This review offers insights into current practices and research endeavours aimed at enhancing the shelf life of horticultural crops through both traditional and biotechnological means, shedding light on opportunities and hurdles in this domain. Future directions include intensifying basic research to unravel molecular processes in harvested tissues, prioritising investigations that directly benefit consumers and developing sustainable and cost‐effective approaches for emerging technologies like modified atmosphere packaging, edible coatings and postharvest treatments.

Banana (Musa species) is the fourth most important export crop worldwide after cereals, oil crops and sugar. In spite of this socio-economic significance, the crop suffers massive postharvest losses caused by mechanical fruit damage, limited infrastructure for fruit ripening, postharvest diseases and physiological disorders. Although use of optimum postharvest environments such as packaging and storage temperatures can reduce fruit loss and improve ripening quality; information regarding the interaction between varieties and postharvest environments and stability of fruit ripening traits across postharvest environments is limited. The objectives of this study were to determine the magnitude of interaction of varieties with postharvest environments on fruit ripening traits and to identify stable banana variety for ripening across postharvest environments. Seven commonly grown banana varieties (Dwarf Cavendish, William I, Grand Naine, Poyu, Giant Cavendish, Butazu and Local variety) were laid out in a completely randomized design with five replications in ten varied postharvest environments. The result indicated that pulp and peel ratio had negative high principal component one (PCA1) score whereas the PCA1 score for postharvest period, peel weight and fruit weight were positive and high. Cluster analysis grouped Dwarf Cavendish and Grand Naine; Poyu and Butazu varieties together for postharvest traits whereas the local variety was clustered separately. This study has demonstrated that hybridization of local with the introduced varieties can be done to improve postharvest traits. AMMI depicted significant variation for genotype, postharvest environments and their interactions for all traits. The magnitude of environmental effect was higher than the genotype and interaction effects. AMMI and GGE biplot analyses identified Gran Naine, Poyu and William I as consistent for ripening traits across postharvest environments.

Ethiopia's Amhara region produces a wide range of local coffee varieties with varying cup characteristics. However, the coffees have not yet been characterized and then trademarked to be included in the country's coffee export market. Thus, the study aimed to determine the levels of caffeine, trigonelline, and chlorogenic acids in green coffee beans grown in different zones of the Amhara region. Eighty green coffee beans were collected from East Gojjam, West Gojjam, Awi, Bahir Dar, and South Gondar zones and determinations were made by HPLC-VWD. Caffeine ranged from 0.78 to 1.55%, trigonelline 0.53–1.27%, and chlorogenic acids 3.29–7.73% (w/w dry mass). Green coffee beans from the Awi zone contained higher mean levels of caffeine, while East Gojjam coffee contained higher levels of chlorogenic acids and trigonelline. Coffee beans from Zegie peninsula exhibited the lowest trigonelline and caffeine levels, while the Awi zone coffee showed the lowest mean concentration of chlorogenic acids. Linear discriminant analysis reveals the possibility of distinguishing coffee samples into their respective cultivation zones with a success rate of 51%.

IntroductionOnion is a significant vegetable crop in Ethiopia, serving as a source of income for smallholder farmers. However, various challenges in the production and post-harvest handling processes impede a consistent supply and marketing of the crop. This study focused on a comprehensive analysis of the onion supply chain, ranging from production to post-harvest handling, to address the existing production and marketing processes. The research initiative was undertaken to map the onion supply chain from farmers to consumers, intending to establish an improved marketing system in northwest Ethiopia.MethodsThe study area covered three onion-producing districts of the Amhara Region. Data collection involved interviews, observations, and market assessments using a structured questionnaire. Sampling followed a multistage technique. The analysis included descriptive statistics and food system analysis to map the supply chain and estimate marketing margins.Results and DiscussionPost-harvest loss in onion production presents a major obstacle in the farming sector, impacting its growth. The study identified six alternative channels for onion marketing where different actors are involved throughout the supply chain. Key stakeholders include farmers, local collectors, brokers, transporters, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. Packaging and sorting activities are implemented at different supply chain stages to minimize post-harvest losses. Farm-level activities, including curing, sorting, grading, and ventilating, are crucial for reducing losses. The perishable nature of onion bulbs and the existing production and handling challenges exacerbate post-harvest losses. Efforts to address this challenge demand a comprehensive approach, integrating interventions across the value chain, from improved cultivars and storage infrastructure to enhanced market access strategies. Hence, stakeholders and governmental organizations are urged to promote onion value-addition technologies, including the establishment of processing industries. Such endeavors promote collaborative efforts across the onion supply chain, ensuring sustainable benefits for producers and traders.

Irrigation water scheduling methods influence the growth, yield, and water productivity of crops including potatoes. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the effects of irrigation frequency determination methods on tuber yield, irrigation water productivity and fertilizer use efficiency of potatoes at Koga irrigation scheme, in Northwest Ethiopia. The treatments were consisted of two irrigation frequency determination methods (wetting front detector and crop water requirement) and six NPS fertilizer rates (0, 90.8, 136.2, 181.6, 227.4 and 272.0 kg ha−1, which were factorial combined in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Growth and tuber yield data of potato were collected based on the standard procedure. Irrigation water productivity, partial factor productivity, and agronomic efficiency were calculated using their respective models. The collected data were analyzed using SAS version 9.4. The results revealed that the wetting front detector method recorded the highest tuber weight (79.5 g), tuber yield (41.9 t ha−1), and irrigation water productivity (9.1 kg potato m−3 water) compared to crop water requirement method. NPS fertilizer at the rate of 272 kg ha−1 also produced the highest tuber weight (86.5), tuber yield (58.1 t ha−1) and irrigation water productivity (12.4 kg potato m−3 water). Treatment combination of wetting front detector and 272 kg ha−1 NPS recorded the highest plant height (64.m cm) and stem number (10.4). Wetting front detector method recorded the highest partial factor productivity (275.2 kg potato per kg NPS) compared to crop water requirement. Wetting front detector combined with NPS rates generally recorded higher partial factor productivity compared to the respective NPS rates combined with crop water requirement. NPS fertilizer at 272 kg ha−1 combined with wetting front detector gave the highest net benefit (236,591.7 ETB ha−1) with acceptable marginal rate of return (248.9%), which is recommended for economical production of potato in the area.

Baby corn production is relatively a new venture in Ethiopia including in north-west part of the country. Accordingly, the agronomic practices including rate of nitrogen and intra-row spacing specific to the area is not well known, which obviously influence the productivity of the crop. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying the optimum rate of nitrogen and intra row spacing for enhanced growth and yield responses of the crop in the study area. Field experiment was conducted during 2020/2021 irrigation season where baby corn variety SG-17 was used as test crop. The experiment consisted of factorial combination of five nitrogen levels (0, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg ha−1 N) and three intra row spacing (15, 25 and 35 cm). The results of the study had shown that intra row spacing and nitrogen fertilizer influenced most of the tested parameters. Treatment combination of 200 kg ha−1 nitrogen and 15 cm intra row spacing recorded tallest plants, thickest stems, highest leaf area index, ear weight and length and highest baby corn and stover yields which could be proposed for the production of baby corn in the study area and areas with similar agro-ecologies. Introduction and adaptation trails on different baby corn varieties could be also considered in the future line of work.

Food and nutrition security is not only addressed by increasing production alone, it should also ensure by reducing food loss. Onion has a great contribution to both economic and health issues, however, its production and productivity in the country is low. Thus, the study was initiated to identify multiple constraints on onion production and postharvest handling practices and to determine the extent of postharvest loss along the supply chain in northwestern Ethiopia. The survey was conducted on production, marketing, and consumption at farm, wholesale, retailer, and consumers level. The multistage sampling procedure was employed. The present results revealed that sex, age, educational level, production experience, land covered by onion, and household size has a significant influence on onion production. Sex, age, education level, active household size, selling experience, amount purchased, and storage duration have a significant association with onion production and postharvest loss. Major onion production and post-harvest loss constraints were high perishability, nature of the crop, market, linkage problem and low market price, lack of awareness of using post-harvest technologies, absence of better storable varieties, shortage of fertilizer access, disease and insect pests. The whole purchased produce never reached the consumer's hands. The total postharvest loss of onion at the farmer, wholesale, retail, and consumer level was found to be 29.775%, of which the higher proportion of losses (35.5%) was observed at the farmer's level. Based on the findings of the present study, onion producers were challenged by timely and adequate supplies and unfair, high cost of major production inputs, and high post-harvest loss. Therefore, producers and handlers in each supply chain need to be trained on affordable and applicable postharvest technologies. In addition, continuous capacity-building training, improving infrastructures, and input access along the supply chain should be designed and implemented to improve better crop management and postharvest handling practices. Moreover, marketing cooperatives working on onion postharvest handling and marketing systems should be functional to absorb surplus production and ensure continuous supply to the market. Thus, meaningful interventions in the development and implementation of policy on sustainable production, handling practices, and supply of onion should be designed.

IntroductionHypertension is a non-communicable chronic disease that has a wide financial effect at the individual and household levels especially in developing countries due to its complexity and chronicity. Nevertheless, there are limited studies in Ethiopia. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess out-of pocket health expenditure and associated factors among adult patients with hypertension in Debre-Tabor Comphrensive Specialized Hospital.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in total of 357 adult hypertensive patients from March to April 2020 using a systematic random sampling technique. Descriptive stastics were used to estimate the magnitude of out-of-pocket health expenditure, while after checking the assumptions linear regression model was fitted for identifying the factors associated with the outcome variable at a significance level of value of p

To satisfy customers, the quality of watermelon should not deteriorate throughout the value chain. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of storage alternative (plastic shade, zero energy cool chamber, naturally ventilated onion storage, and ordinary storage room), storage duration (1 st, 2nd, 3rd 4 th, and 5th -weeks), and variety (Crimson-sweet and Sugar-baby) sampled from three locations with factorial combinations in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Storage condition, duration, variety, and location influenced the quality attributes. The plastic shade and ordinary storage room maintained better TSS (total soluble solids) compared to the others. Crimson-sweet maintained better TSS, acidity content, and overall acceptability during storage. Regardless of storage conditions, variety, and location, TSS decreased while pH increased with prolonged duration. TSS below the US standard of 8% manifested after the 4th -week of storage. The ordinary storage room maintained sensory qualities the best. The overall acceptability of stored fruits was ‘neither like nor dislike’ according to the panelists after the 4th -week in all storage conditions. It is concluded that watermelon has a shelf-life of one month. Therefore, we recommend plastic shade and ordinary storage room, Crimson-sweet variety, and Ribb and Woramit locations, for the watermelon value chain in Ethiopia.

Field experiment was conducted during the 2019 irrigation season to evaluate the growth and tuber yield responses of potato varieties in the highlands of Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of four potato varieties (Belete, Shonkolla, Gudanie and Local) and three seed tuber sizes (small (31.5 ± 2.5 g), medium (57 ± 2.5 g) and large (77.5 ± 2.5 g). The experiment was laid out in factorial arrangement using randomized complete block design with three replications in factorial arrangement. The results showed that, variety and seed tuber size in their main effects significantly influenced almost all the tested parameters of potato. Tuber size and variety also interact to influence days to 90% maturity, plant height, large-sized tuber yield, marketable and total tuber yields. Large-sized seed tubers of Belete and Gudanie varieties recorded the highest marketable tuber yields of 39.13 t ha−1 and 38.63 t ha−1, respectively while the lowest (12.12 t h−1) was recorded from local variety planted using small-sized seed tubers. Large-sized seed tubers of Gudanie variety gave the highest net benefit (131,376.50 ETB ha−1) with unacceptable marginal rate of return (

Onion is one of the major cash crops and helps improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Although genetically and morphologically different, seedlings of all released onion varieties are transplanted at the ages ranging from 40 to 50 days, which contributes to the low level of productivity in Ethiopia. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at the research site of Fogera National Research and Training Center during the 2019/20 irrigation season with the objective of identifying the optimum seedling age for improved onion productivity in Northwest Ethiopia. The treatments consisted of three varieties (Adama red, Bombay red, and Nasik red) and four seedling ages (30, 40, 50, and 60 days) of onion, which were laid down in 3 × 4 factorial arrangement using randomized complete block design with three replications. Growth and yield parameters of onion were collected based on the standard procedures and analyzed using SAS version 9.6. The results revealed that both variety and seedling age significantly (P

In developing countries like Ethiopia, where the time of harvesting coincides with the dry season, farmers cure onion bulbs naturally on the field. Field curing generally takes longer than artificial curing and results in more losses and reduced quality of the bulbs due to increased risks for infestations and uncontrolled suboptimal drying conditions. Large-scale artificial curing systems are expensive and electrical energy supply is limited in rural areas. A CFD model was employed to design an alternative and sustainable onion curing system that can be deployed on the field in rural areas. The developed CFD model was validated by comparing the predicted air velocity, temperature, and mass loss to measured values on a prototype curing system operated on a field in Ethiopia. A good agreement between the model and experimental value was observed for the time profiles of temperature at different positions in the bulk of onions during curing, expressed by a root mean square error of 1.1°C in the temperature range from 28 to 47°C, 0.16 m s−1 in the velocity range from 0.1 to 2.5 m s−1, and 0.565% for the mass loss that ranged up to 6.35%. The developed model was used to assess the air velocity, temperature, and relative humidity distribution in order to get an insight into the uniformity of curing of onion bulbs using the develop alternative curing system. For all of the examined curing durations, the drying air temperature variation inside 80% of the porous medium was < 3°C. In the remaining 20% of the porous medium, a temperature variation of up to 6°C was observed. Thus, the newly designed and developed curing system was found to cure the onion bulbs uniformly. Moreover, its performance was evaluated experimentally and the onions were cured to a desirable level of curing for long-term storage within a total curing duration of 48 h. It is vital to consider bulb shrinkage, particularly in the neck, in order to further improve the model mass loss prediction.

The application of optimal fertilizer rates for component crops improves productivity, land use efficiency, and profitability in an intercropping system. Two field experiments during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons were conducted in Adet and Debre Tabor districts with the objective of evaluating the nutrient requirements of sweet lupine in bread wheat-sweet lupine under additive design intercropping systems. Sweet lupine grown in bread wheat-sweet lupine intercropping was fertilized with seven fertilizer levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, and 150% of the blanket-recommended NP fertilizer rate of sole lupine) and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The findings revealed that the highest grain yield of sweet lupine in wheat-sweet lupine intercropping system at Adet was achieved at 125% NP (0.51 t·ha−1) and 150% NP (0.52 t·ha−1), followed by 100% NP (0.43 t·ha−1) and 50% NP (0.35 t·ha−1) fertilizer levels of sweet lupine. Similarly, the highest grain yield of sweet lupine in Debre Tabor was recorded by the application of 125% NP (2.07 t ha−1) fertilizer level of sweet lupine followed by 150% NP (1.89 t·ha−1), 100% NP (1.71 t·ha−1), and 50% NP (1.70 t·ha−1) fertilizer levels. For every invested Ethiopian Birr in the treatments of 50% and 125% NP fertilizer levels of sweet lupine averaged additional profits of ETB 7.667 and ETB 4.537, respectively, can be obtained from sweet lupine that grew under bread wheat-sweet lupine intercropping system. Based on the averaged MRR across the different cost price ratio, application of 50% NP fertilizer level of sweet lupine can be recommended for profitable production of sweet lupine in bread wheat-sweet lupine under additive design intercropping system in Adet and Debre Tabor and areas with similar agroecology as it recorded the highest net return with acceptable marginal rate of return.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important tuber crop that is highly affected by poor soil fertility and nutrient disparities. Nutrient depletion due to intensive monocropping and poor soil management practices is a serious problem in Ethiopia, including in northwestern areas. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in the East Gojjam zone of northwestern Ethiopia to evaluate the influence of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer rates on potato tuber production. Three phosphorus levels (0, 34.5, and 69 kg/ha−1) and four potassium levels (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg/ha−1) were set out in a factorial arrangement and replicated three times using a randomized complete block design. Data on growth and quality parameters, as well as plant tissue analysis results, were collected. According to the results, the main effects of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer rates statistically affected growth components. The combined effects of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers had a significant influence on quality components (tuber size distribution). Similarly, the interaction effects of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer rates gave the highest response in all nutrient use efficiency parameters. The combined application of 34.5 kg P2O5 and 200 kg K2O fertilizers resulted in the highest medium (28.32 ton/ha−1) and large-sized (20.0 ton/ha−1) tuber yields. The interaction effect of 34.5 kg P2O5 with 100 kg K2O ha−1 yielded the highest agronomic and recovery efficiency values. Hence, a combination of 34.5 kg P2O5 ha−1 and 200 kg K2O ha−1 fertilizer rates can be recommended for the optimal production of potato in the northwestern area.

Background: Date palm is the oldest fruit tree which is mostly cultivated in arid and semi-arid areas. This study aims to assess the contribution of date palm production in livelihood promotion of agro-pastoral regions of Afar, Ethiopia. The primary data were generated from questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and observation. Date palm producers were selected purposively while individuals were selected randomly from 117 samples households. Secondary data were also used. Results: For the purpose of analysis, descriptive statistics for quantitative and narration for qualitative data were applied for analysis. Date palm production covered about 10-30 % of the food demands of 95,5 % households in the study area where most of the date palm producing households (88,9 %) consumed about 0,25-1,99 gm of date palm per day. Moreover, the primary income source for the majority of date palm producers is obtained from date palm production. Palm trees and its different parts are used to construct houses, bed frames, bridges and especially the leaves are used as a raw material to make baskets, fans, ropes, sacks and other materials. Conclusion: Capacity building on the economic importance and agronomic and management practices of date palm to all stakeholders is recommended.

Application of organic and inorganic fertilizers is essential for sustainable production of crops including potato. This study was therefore initiated to identify the optimum rate of farmyard manure (FYM) and blended compound NPS fertilizer for profitable production of potato in Koga Irrigation Scheme, Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Four rates of FYM (0, 4.5, 9, and 13.5 t ha−1) and NPS fertilizer (0, 81.7, 163.4, and 245.1 kg ha−1) were laid down in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The results revealed that FYM and blended NPS fertilizer as well as their combination influenced most of the tested growth and yield parameters of potato including plant height, main stem number, and tuber weight. Application of 245.1 kg ha−1 NPS combined with 13.5 t ha−1 FYM recorded the highest marketable and total tuber yields of 43.52 and 47.04 t ha−1, respectively. Although, the highest marginal rate of return was obtained from plants supplied with the combination of 4.5 t ha−1 FYM and 163.4 kg ha−1 NPS fertilizer, combined application of 245.1 kg ha−1 NPS and 13.5 t ha−1 FYM is recommended for economical production of potato in the study area as it recorded the highest net benefit with acceptable marginal rate of return.

In Ethiopia, the average yield of potato is far below the potential due to different problems like in low soil fertility. Hence, this research was done to evaluate the effects of blended NPS fertilizer rates on yield and yield components of potato. The study was conducted at Abaso Kotu, Dessie Zuria district, Ethiopia, during dry season of 2015. The experiment was consisted a factorial combination of two late maturing potato varieties (Belete and Local) and six NPS fertilizer rates (0:0 (T1), 111:89.7:0 (T2), 111:89.7:16.52 (T3), 55:89.7:16.52 (T4), 111:44.85:8.26 (T5) and 55:44.85, 8.26 (T6)) kg ha-1 and Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications was used. The highest potato plant height was recorded on 111: 89.7:16.52 (T3) kg ha-1 of NPS fertilizer rate. Belete variety supplied with 111: 89.7:16.52 (T3) kg ha-1 of NPS fertilizer rate recorded the maximum days (124.3) to maturity of potato. Similarly, Belete variety recorded the higher biomass than local variety. The 111:89.7:16.52 (T3) kg ha-1 and 55.5:89.7:16.52 (T4) kg ha-1 NPS fertilizer rates showed the highest above ground biomass and underground biomass of potato, respectively. The highest average tuber number per hill, tuber weight per hill, marketable, unmarketable and total tuber yield were recorded on potato which was applied with 55.5: 89.7:16.52 (T3) kg ha-1 of NPS fertilizer rate. It is concluded that 55.5:89.7:16.52 (T4) kg ha-1 NPS fertilizer rate application is recommended for the production of potato varieties at Abaso Kotu, Dessie Zuria District Ethiopia.

The study was initiated to evaluate biochemical components of Arabica coffee varieties grown in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. For that purpose, green beans of eight highland Arabica coffee varieties, namely, Merdacheriko, Yachi, Wush Wush, Buno wash, 741, 7440, Ababuna and Ageze were harvested from coffee trees. Coffee varieties were grown in RCBD with three replications in Adet and Woramit ARC. Biochemical contents of green beans were analyzed in the Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research in Addis Ababa, following the standard procedures of the specific chemicals. The results depicted the presence of significant variations for trigonelline, chlorogenic acid, and caffeine contents of beans of coffee varieties grown at a different location. The trigonelline content of the coffee varieties grown at AARC was generally higher than coffee grown in WARC where Buno wash grown in AARC recorded the highest (1.20%) while Wush Wush grown in WARC recorded the lowest (0.93%) trigonelline content. Since CGA content is inversely related to the coffee beverage quality, Merdacheriko variety with the lowest CGA content (2.95%) at WARC and 741 with relatively low CGA content (4.06%) in AARC may have high beverage quality compared to other coffee varieties. The caffeine contents of the tested coffee varieties in both locations were at normal ranges which are common for most Arabica coffee varieties. Further researches on the yielding potential and cup quality of the coffee varieties are recommended to identify the suitable coffee varieties for coffee growing areas of Amhara Region.

Coffee is the second most traded commodity worldwide after oil both in terms of volume and value. The study was therefore initiated to evaluate the quality of highland coffee varieties grown in the region. For this purpose, coffee bean samples of the varieties Merdacheriko, Yachi, Wush Wush, Buno wash, 741, 7440, Ababuna, and Ageze were collected from trees which were grown in Adet and Woramit Agricultural Research Centers in RCBD with three replications. Physical (length and width of coffee beans, 100 bean weight, screen sizes, and raw quality) and cup quality (aromatic intensity, aromatic quality, acidity, astringency, bitterness, body, flavor, overall standard, and total cup quality) parameters, as well as total coffee quality, were evaluated by a team of certified panelists at Jimma Agricultural Research Center. The results depicted significant variations in physical quality parameters of coffee varieties, while the cup and total qualities of coffee varieties in WARC and in AARC were similar. In WARC, Buno wash, Wush Wush, and Ababuna coffee varieties showed better physical quality in terms of 100 bean weight, bean length, bean width, and screen size, while varieties Buno wash and Wush Wush showed better physical quality only in terms of 100 bean weight and bean length in AARC. Cup quality of coffee varieties grown in WARC ranged from 48.16% to 51.33% while that of coffees grown in AARC ranged from 45.00% to 50.83%. Total coffee quality in WARC was at the range from 85.50 to 89.33% while in AARC from 81.66 to 87.83%, which is within the standard of Ethiopian Commodity Exchange for coffee. All the tested varieties of Arabica coffee can be therefore used to produce coffee in both study areas and areas with similar agroecology of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Further research on the yield performance of the coffee varieties is also recommended.

Vegetative propagation through grafting is the recommended method for most fruit crops including mango. It involves the joining of scion and rootstock where the rootstock develops into the root system while the scion develops the upper fruiting part of the grafted tree. The study was conducted in Harbu fruit nursery site of Amhara Region from June 2015 to December 2016 with the objective of determining appropriate grafting time and technique that maximize the graft success of grafted mango using Apple variety as a scion. The treatments were laid out in factorial arrangement using Completely Randomized Design with three replications. The results of the present study generally indicated that both the main and the interaction effects of grafting time with grafting technique had a significant influence on days to bud break, rootstock diameters, scion diameters, scion length, rootstock length, number of leaves per graft and graft success of mango. The minimum required times for bud breaking were observed when mango was grafted with cleft grafting technique during March grafting time (17.37 days). The maximum success rate of grafting (100%) was obtained from treatment combination of June or March grafting time with cleft technique. Therefore, propagation of mango using cleft grafting technique during the month of March can be recommended for the study area and areas with similar agro-ecologies to increase the success rate of mango. Moreover, doing similar researches at different localities is recommended to identify best-fit mango propagation techniques to improve mango production at regional level in particular and at national level in general.

Field experiments have been conducted with the objective of identifying optimum rate of the newly introduced NPS fertilizer for profitable production of potato at Koga Irrigation Scheme, Northwestern Ethiopia. Six NPS fertilizer rates and three potato varieties which were factorial combined and laid down in Randomized Complete Block Design in three replicates were tested on two different farmlands. Most growth, yield, and yield components of potato were increased with increasing rates of NPS fertilizer which differed with varieties and locations. Highest marketable tuber yields of Belete (55.37 t ha−1) and Gudene (46.83 t ha−1) varieties were recorded with the of 283.75 kg ha−1 NPS fertilizer in location I (soil with low phosphorous content). The yields of Gudene variety recorded at the range of 181.6 to 283.75 kg ha−1 NPS fertilizer were however statistically similar. Farmer`s local potato variety on the other hand recorded the highest marketable tuber yield (28.98 t ha−1) in location II (soil with high phosphorous content) supplied with 227.0 kg ha−1 NPS which was similar with yields at the range of 102.12 to 283.75 kg ha−1 NPS fertilizer. On soils with low phosphorous content, production of Belete, and Gudene varieties with application of 283.75 and 181.60 kg ha−1 NPS fertilizer rates, respectively, are recommended while on soils with high phosphorous content production of local, and Gudene varieties supplied with 136.20 and 181.60 kg ha−1 NPS, respectively, are recommended for higher profitability of potato production at Koga Irrigation Scheme.

The study was conducted during 2015/2016 in two districts of Afar Regional State which were purposively selected based on their experiences on date palm production and locations relative to Awash River. Objectives of the study were evaluating the existing production practices and constraints of date palm production to generate baseline information for further researches and extension. A total of 117 household heads were interviewed using structured and semistructured questionnaires. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and direct observations of date palm plantations have been also conducted. The study was designed to address date palm production along the value chain. The majority of household heads were male, married, and illiterate. About 94.19% of household heads allocated less than one hectare of land for date palm production and had 21–40 years (77.8%) of experience. Seeds (90.6%) were dominantly used for propagation, which are not appropriate for date palm production. Local varieties with low yielding potential were cultivated using flooding irrigation (76.9%). Date palm production was practiced traditionally and constrained with high incidence of insect pests. Capacity building training sessions and researches on proper agronomic, management, and postharvest handling practices are recommended to improve the production of date palm in the region.

Field experiment has been conducted in Yilmana Densa District during the 2014/2015 irrigation season with the objective of identifying the economical and agronomically optimum rate of the newly introduced NPS fertilizer for garlic production under irrigated smallholder farming system in the Highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia. Twelve NPS fertilizer rates, laid down on Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications were tested on local garlic variety. Accordingly, most of the growth and yield parameters were significantly affected by NPS fertilizer rates where non-fertilized plants were inferior in all parameters. Significantly highest plant height (69.23 cm) and above ground biomass (25.33 g) were recorded on garlic plants supplied with N:P2O5:S at the rate of 105:122.6:22.6 kg ha−1. Similarly, the biggest bulb diameter (4.27 cm) and the highest leaf number (13.4) as well as marketable (17.42 t ha−1) and total bulb yields (17.8 t ha−1) were recorded on plants which were supplied with 140:122.6:22.6 kg ha−1 N:P2O5:S that were similar with the effects of N:P2O5:S at the rate of 140:92:17 kg ha−1. N:P2O5:S at the rate of 140:92:17 kg ha−1 recorded the highest marginal rate of return that can be recommended to increase the yield of garlic and thus to improve the livelihoods of farmers in the study area.