Release and Registration of AYINAGE Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) Variety for West Hararghe zone

Sorghum is the most important crop in Ethiopia especially in the west Hararghe zone it is a main stable food. However, the average productivity is far lower than its genetic potential this is mainly because of poor soil fertility, drought, Striga, diseases, and insects as well as a lack of improved variety that is high yielding and widely adaptable. Thus, the current study was conducted to find early mature, stable, high-yielding, and pest-tolerant varieties for increasing production. At multi-environments ten genotypes, which are, collected from west Hararghe by Melkasa Agricultural Research Center and standard check (Dagim) evaluated at two locations namely Hirna and Mechara for three consecutive years (2017-2019). AYINAGE showed relatively tolerant to disease and insect pests as well as high grain yield. As a result, this genotype was promoted to a variety of verification trials for further evaluation. The candidate variety and standard check (Bonsa) it was planted at the farmers' field and on the station. Relative to standard check AYINAGE it was tolerant to stalk borer and leaf bight as well as early mature and their stock stayed green after maturity because of these traits farmers selected this variety. Further, its grain yield is 34.5% higher than the check. As a result, finally national variety release committee approved AYINAGE as a new sorghum variety released for midlands areas of the west Hararghe Zone and similar agro ecologies in Ethiopia.