Phenotypic characterization and seed viability test in ex-situ conserved Ethiopian cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces.

Background: Nowadays, most of the Ethiopian barley landraces had been lost from farmer's field and exclusively found ex-situ conserved at the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI). Those ex-situ conserved are generally believed to be representative of the original population and possess high genetic diversity and important unique genes that are useful for tackling the various biotic and abiotic stresses in the face of the current climate change. Thus, this research was aimed at testing the performance of 150 ex-situ conserved landraces that had been collected from Arsi and Bale highlands, Southeastern Ethiopia.

Assessment of the Effects of Seed Storage Time on Germination Rate and Performance Evaluation of Ethiopian Faba Bean ( L.) Varieties for Yield and Related Traits.

In Ethiopia, faba bean ( L.) varieties are important and widely used as a source of food and cash source to large number of subsistence farmers. However, their production and productivity is below the world's average partly because of lack of their sustainable performance in the current scenario of climate change.

Assessment on the Current State of On-Farm Diversity and Genetic Erosion in Barley ( L.) Landraces from Bale Highlands, Southeast Ethiopia.

Barley landraces is among the major cereal crops grown in Ethiopian highlands including Bale highlands. However, in recent days, the crop is highly declining to the extents of total loss. This study was, therefore, aimed at assessing the extents of its on-farm diversity and genetic erosion from Bale highlands, Ethiopia.

Genetic diversity analysis in (Vatke) Agnew populations collected from diverse geographic regions in Ethiopia using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) DNA marker system.

Background: (Vatke) Agnew (Lamiaceae), locally known as Ethiopian potato Ethiopian dinich, is one of the native Ethiopian edible tuber crops that has been significantly contributing to household food security for millions of subsistence farmers. However, its current production is declining to the extent of total extinction from several administrative regions where it used to be widely cultivated. It is one of the less researched crops regardless of being indigenous and its contribution to food security during time of scarcity.

Genetic diversity and population structure analyses of Plectranthus edulis (Vatke) Agnew collections from diverse agro-ecologies in Ethiopia using newly developed EST-SSRs marker system.

Background: Plectranthus edulis (Vatke) Agnew (locally known as Ethiopian dinich or Ethiopian potato) is one of the most economically important edible tuber crops indigenous to Ethiopia. Evaluating the extent of genetic diversity within and among populations is one of the first and most important steps in breeding and conservation measures. Hence, this study was aimed at evaluating the genetic diversity and population structure of this crop using collections from diverse agro-ecologies in Ethiopia.