Genetic Improvement of Maize in Ethiopia: A Review
1993
Benti Tolesa | Tasew Gobezayehu | Mosisa Worku | Yigzaw Desalegne | Kebede Mulatu | Gezahgne Bogale (IAR, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia))
Maize is one of the most important food crops in Ethiopia. Selection of superior germplasm which started about 40 years ago has produced a number of high yielding varieties/hybrids for commercial cultivation. Participation in the East Africa Cooperative Maize Variety Trial played a key role in producing superior germplasm that are higher yielding than the local varieties. Since 1986, good progress has also been made in identifying high yielding open-pollinated maize varieties and hybrids. Information available from studies on heterosis and genetic diversity in crosses of adapted maize composite was very useful to answer some basic questions necessary to improve our Maize breeding strategies. The establishment of the team approach and the re-designing of the improved germplasm development based on four agro-ecological zones was very useful to strengthen the entire maize research in Ethiopia. Availability of high yielding maize varieties/hybrids would not be a problem in the future since there are a number of open pollinated varieties and hybrids in the pipeline for release. The major concern in the future would be popularization and transfer of these high yielding materials to users.
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