Enhancing the production and productivity of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties through participatory variety selection

The effectiveness of varietal release and distribution can be limited when based only on average performance without accounting for genotype by environment interactions, farmer preferences, and actual adoption. Participatory varietal selection (PVS) addresses these limitations by integrating farmer knowledge with scientific evaluation, thereby promoting locally adapted, resilient, and widely acceptable varieties and contributing to sustainable agricultural development. To this end, eleven bread wheat varieties, including a local check, were tested during the 2023/24 main cropping season in the Borena and Wogdie districts using a mother-and-baby trial design. The mother trial followed a randomized complete block design with three replications. Combined analysis of variance across locations revealed highly significant differences (P < 0.01) among varieties for all traits studied. Grain yield ranged from 3.27t/ha (Wane) to 4.43 t/ha (Boru). Farmers evaluated the varieties during maturity using their own selection criteria and applied pairwise and matrix ranking methods. Abay was ranked first in Borena and Boru in Wogdie, reflecting differences in local preferences. Genotypic correlation analysis showed grain yield had a very strong positive association with the harvest index (0.95), number of grains per spike (0.92), and biological yield (0.90). It also displayed significant positive correlations with thousand seed weight (0.89), spike weight (0.88), number of productive tillers per plant (0.86), plant height (0.74), and spike length (0.69). Path analysis further confirmed the positive direct effects of these traits on grain yield, with the strongest direct effects from productive tillers (0.61), harvest index (0.31), and grains per spike (0.27). Based on both field performance and farmers’ preferences, Boru and Abay were recommended for production with their full management packages in the study areas and similar agro-ecologies. These findings underscore the importance of integrating Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) with conventional breeding strategies, with particular emphasis on harvest index, productive tillers, grains per spike, thousand-seed weight, and spike-related traits as critical selection criteria for enhancing bread wheat improvement and ensuring sustainable crop productivity.