Participatory variety selection for released white common bean varieties in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Participatory variety selection plays a vital role in adopting improved crop varieties into a new growing area. Farmers' preferences across locations and growing seasons must be taken into account to introduce improved varieties that farmers will accept. Evaluating improved common bean varieties in specific agro-ecologies is a key activity to enhance the productivity of the crop. The purpose of this study was to identify adapted, high-yielding, disease-resistant, and farmers' preferred white common bean varieties in the south Gondar zone, Ethiopia. Seven released white common bean varieties were evaluated in the mother and baby trial system using Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times during the 2019 cropping season at the farmers' field of Libokemkem and Simada districts. Seed shape, maturity days, disease reactivity, pod number/plant, and seed number/pod were utilized as variety selection criteria during field observation to determine varieties preferred by farmers. The results revealed that among the evaluated varieties, Awash-2 (1722.7 kg ha⁻¹) and Awash-1 (1509.8 kg ha⁻¹) produced considerably higher yield at Libokemkem whereas Awash-Melka (3888.1 kg ha⁻¹), Batu (3697.6 kg ha⁻¹), Awash-2 (3463.9 kg ha⁻¹), Mexican-142 (3455.6 kg ha⁻¹) and Awash-1 (3235.3 kg ha⁻¹) were found as high-yielding varieties at Simada. When comparing grain yields at both locations, Awash-2 and Awash-1 are consistently good yielder varieties, which is one of the most important features for the farmers. Based on the farmers’ preference, Awash-2 was consistently preferred and selected by the farmers across the two locations. Awash-2 is consistent both in the amount of grain yield and its acceptance by the farmers across the two locations and is suggested as a promising variety that needs to be promoted, multiplied, and disseminated to the farmers of the study areas for cultivation. Assessment of the varieties for Anthracnose and web blight diseases showed no or little and insufficient economic injury and the varieties were generally categorized as less susceptible and intermediate in their response to the diseases.