- Senior Researcher in sugarcane breeding.edit
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'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) are the names assigned to sugarcane varieties with accession numbers Acc. 43 and Acc. 139, respectively. They were developed by Sugar Corporation, Research... more
'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) are the names assigned to sugarcane varieties with accession numbers Acc. 43 and Acc. 139, respectively. They were developed by Sugar Corporation, Research and Development and were registered and released in June 2019 by the National Variety Releasing Committee of Ethiopia to growers in three sugar estates in Ethiopia. 'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' were selected from local landraces collected during 2010/11 from different geographic regions across Ethiopia. The released varieties 'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' have high sugar yield (by 29.6% and 28.4%, respectively), early maturity and yield stability across locations compared to the standard check B52298. They also showed resistance to smut caused by Ustilago scitaminea. The average sugar yield for Tafach Shenkora and Kay Shenkora was 26.14 and 25.88 tons ha-1, respectively. These cultivars are the first of their kind to be released from sugarcane landraces collected in Ethiopia.
Research Interests: Agronomy, Biology, Ecology, Agriculture, Plant breeding and genetics, and 3 moreSugar, Cultivar, and Cane
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The present study was performed to study genetic relationships and population differentiation of 90 introduced sugarcane accessions in Ethiopia by means of 22 SSR molecular markers. The 22 SSR markers amplified a total of 260 alleles, of... more
The present study was performed to study genetic relationships and population differentiation of 90 introduced sugarcane accessions in Ethiopia by means of 22 SSR molecular markers. The 22 SSR markers amplified a total of 260 alleles, of which 230 were polymorphic with a mean of 10.45 alleles per SSR locus. The range in allele number was 4–22. A high level of polymorphism with a mean of 60.51% polymorphic loci within the genotypes was detected. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.231 to 0.375 with an average of 0.303. Measures of effective number of alleles and genetic diversity on average were 1.55 and 0.317, respectively, across all the 22 markers evaluated. The SSR genetic profiles obtained using the 22 markers enabled complete discrimination among all the 90 introduced sugarcane cultivars. The neighbor- joining unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on the simple matching dissimilarity indices unambiguously distingui...
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The success of any crop improvement program depends on the extent of genetic diversity present in the germplasm. The current study's aim was to determine the level of qualitative morphological trait diversity among sugarcane... more
The success of any crop improvement program depends on the extent of genetic diversity present in the germplasm. The current study's aim was to determine the level of qualitative morphological trait diversity among sugarcane germplasm. Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’) values of characters for the 196 sugarcane genotypes ranged from 0.08 to 0.94, with a mean of value 0.65. This indicates the presence of a wide range of qualitative morphological trait variability among the sugarcane genotypes. The H' pooled across locations by character, and the H' pooled across characters by location, ranged from 0.06 to 0.82; and 0.00 to 0.84, respectively, with a mean value of 0.53 in both cases. Multivariate cluster analysis divided the entire sugarcane into three distinct groups. The distance between groups of genotypes, and a pair of individual sugarcane genotypes ranged from 9.77 to 12.74, and 0.51 to 15.56, respectively. The non-zero lowest distance value between genotypes 1 and...
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An accurate and extensive study of the qualitative morphological diversity of sugarcane genotypes would allow their identification, conservation and utilization in the sugarcane breeding program. The objectives of the study were to... more
An accurate and extensive study of the qualitative morphological diversity of sugarcane genotypes would allow their identification, conservation and utilization in the sugarcane breeding program. The objectives of the study were to characterize and estimate the morphological diversity of sugarcane genotypes using qualitative traits. Data collected for 16 qualitative characters were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis to assess the overall patterns of morphological variation. Shannon diversity index (H′) was calculated to estimate morphological diversity. The result indicated that the qualitative traits revealed high variability among 144 sugarcane genotypes. The most polymorphic character with the highest Shannon diversity index (H′) was stalk corky patchs. The H′ averaged across all countries for different characters was found to vary from 0.50 to 0.76 with an average of 0.61. The H′ pooled across characters by country of collection ranged from 0.00 to 0...
Biological control of sugarcane smut (Ustilago scitaminea Syd.) using Trichoderma isolates is one of the untapped potentials in Ethiopian sugarcane plantations. To this end, this study was carried ...
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Sugarcane has been cultivated by smallholder farmers since 16th century in Ethiopia and preceded the commercial production. However, as far as this study is concerned, no exploration and collection have been conducted to know the... more
Sugarcane has been cultivated by smallholder farmers since 16th century in Ethiopia and preceded the commercial production. However, as far as this study is concerned, no exploration and collection have been conducted to know the landraces and study the regional diversity of the crop. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to collect native sugarcane landraces in Ethiopia and to assess phenotypic diversity and analyze regional distribution among landraces collected from different geographical regions. More than 300 sugarcane genotypes were collected. The landraces were analyzed for 21 quantitative stalk and juice quality characters and 16 qualitative characters. Phenotypic diversity among landraces was high, as expressed by the large range of variation for mean quantitative traits and the high (0.80) Shannon–Weaver diversity index. Our results provided experimental evidence on occurrence of geographical variation and significant within-region variation where it was high in the...
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The study was conducted during 2012/2013 at Wonji Sugar Estate, Ethiopia, to estimate the extent of morphological diversity among sugarcane germplasm based on 16 qualitative traits. Four hundred sugarcane genotypes grouped in 20 locations... more
The study was conducted during 2012/2013 at Wonji Sugar Estate, Ethiopia, to estimate the extent of morphological diversity among sugarcane germplasm based on 16 qualitative traits. Four hundred sugarcane genotypes grouped in 20 locations were considered. Phenotypic frequency distributions of the characters were analyzed and Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H′) was computed using the phenotypic frequencies. Results indicated that the variation inH′within locations was larger than the diversity observed between locations. The value ofH′for all sample genotypes ranged from 0.43 to 0.98 with a mean of 0.87. Considerable phenotypic diversity was observed among the germplasm studied. This information can be used for establishing proper identity of the accessions, strategic conservation of these germplasm resources, and future improvement work of the sugarcane crop. This is the first study to report phenotypic diversity of local and exotic sugarcane genotypes in Ethiopia.
Research Interests: Biology and Agriculture
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'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) are the names assigned to sugarcane varieties with accession numbers Acc. 43 and Acc. 139, respectively. They were developed by Sugar Corporation, Research... more
'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) are the names assigned to sugarcane varieties with accession numbers Acc. 43 and Acc. 139, respectively. They were developed by Sugar Corporation, Research and Development and were registered and released in June 2019 by the National Variety Releasing Committee of Ethiopia to growers in three sugar estates in Ethiopia. 'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' were selected from local landraces collected during 2010/11 from different geographic regions across Ethiopia. The released varieties 'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' have high sugar yield (by 29.6% and 28.4%, respectively), early maturity and yield stability across locations compared to the standard check B52298. They also showed resistance to smut caused by Ustilago scitaminea. The average sugar yield for Tafach Shenkora and Kay Shenkora was 26.14 and 25.88 tons ha-1, respectively. These cultivars are the first of their kind to be released from sugarcane landraces collected in Ethiopia.
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Sugarcane is one of the most important sugar crops grown commercially and by small-scale farmers in Ethiopia. However, production of this crop is adversely affected by biotic constraints among which sugarcane smut, caused by Sporisorium... more
Sugarcane is one of the most important sugar crops grown commercially and by small-scale farmers in Ethiopia. However, production of this crop is adversely affected by biotic constraints among which sugarcane smut, caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, is one of the most important diseases. Field surveys were conducted once in eight sugar estates (Arjo, Beles, Fincha, Kesem, Kuraz, Metehara, Tendaho, and Wonji) of Ethiopia from 2017 to 2019 to determine the smut distribution, incidence, severity, and association of biophysical factors with smut incidence and severity. A total of 311 fields were assessed in eight sugar estates. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of independent factors with smut incidence and severity. The results revealed that sugarcane smut prevailed in 62.7% of the fields. Moreover, mean smut incidence and severity varied significantly among the surveyed fields and sugar estates. High smut incidence (>5%) and severity (>25%) were highly asso...
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Biological control of sugarcane smut (Ustilago scitaminea Syd.) using Trichoderma isolates is one of the untapped potentials in Ethiopian sugarcane plantations. To this end, this study was carried out with the objective to identify... more
Biological control of sugarcane smut (Ustilago scitaminea Syd.) using
Trichoderma isolates is one of the untapped potentials in Ethiopian sugarcane plantations. To this end, this study was carried out with the objective to identify potential native Trichoderma isolates for the management of sugarcane smut. A total of 120 soil samples were collected from Kesem, Metehara, and Wonji sugarcane plantation fields. Consequently, 21 Trichoderma isolates were recovered from the samples, and in-vitro antagonist study of Trichoderma isolates against
U. scitaminea was done using dual culture technique on fresh PDA. Among the native isolates, 12 of them revealed a pathogen suppression potential of >90% at 7 days after inoculation and most of them had higher pathogen suppression than the commercial isolate. However, five of the isolates were selected as potential candidates based on distinct suppression features, growth rate, and antagonistic performance. Identification of the five effective Trichoderma isolates (WI4-27,
MKI2-k17, MI3-m33, WI12-25, and MKI3) was done based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. Thus, the isolates were identified as T. harzianum, T. asperellum, T. viride, T. viride, and T. harzianum, respectively. Accordingly, these isolates could be used as one component of integrated smut management practices once a study on compatibility with fungicides, in-vivo efficacy test against smut, and substrate selection for mass production of the isolates were commenced.
Trichoderma isolates is one of the untapped potentials in Ethiopian sugarcane plantations. To this end, this study was carried out with the objective to identify potential native Trichoderma isolates for the management of sugarcane smut. A total of 120 soil samples were collected from Kesem, Metehara, and Wonji sugarcane plantation fields. Consequently, 21 Trichoderma isolates were recovered from the samples, and in-vitro antagonist study of Trichoderma isolates against
U. scitaminea was done using dual culture technique on fresh PDA. Among the native isolates, 12 of them revealed a pathogen suppression potential of >90% at 7 days after inoculation and most of them had higher pathogen suppression than the commercial isolate. However, five of the isolates were selected as potential candidates based on distinct suppression features, growth rate, and antagonistic performance. Identification of the five effective Trichoderma isolates (WI4-27,
MKI2-k17, MI3-m33, WI12-25, and MKI3) was done based on macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. Thus, the isolates were identified as T. harzianum, T. asperellum, T. viride, T. viride, and T. harzianum, respectively. Accordingly, these isolates could be used as one component of integrated smut management practices once a study on compatibility with fungicides, in-vivo efficacy test against smut, and substrate selection for mass production of the isolates were commenced.
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Ten locally collected sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) genotypes and two checks (NCO 334 and B52-298) were evaluated for their yield and juice quality under three different salinity levels (1.3, 4.4, and 6.5dsm-1) using Randomized... more
Ten locally collected sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) genotypes and two checks (NCO 334 and B52-298) were evaluated for their yield and juice quality under three different salinity levels (1.3, 4.4, and 6.5dsm-1) using Randomized complete block design with three replications in 2014/2016 at Metahara Sugar Estate. The experiment was conducted to determine yield performance and juice quality of the genotypes, to estimate the magnitude and nature of the GxS interaction of cane yield and yield components and to identify promising genotypes for specific and wider adaptation across salinity levels. The analyses of variance showed that there was significant difference among the genotypes under 1.3ds/m, 4.4ds/m and 6.5ds/m salinity levels for most of the traits indicating the presence of ample genotypic variation among the studied genotypes. The genotype by salinity interaction was also significant for most of the traits showing the inconsistency of performance of genotypes expressed as rank change over salinity levels. Five stability parameters identified the two checks (NCO 334 and B52-298) followed by Holland as the most stable genotypes for sugar yield. GGE-biplot identified genotype Nech Ageda as specifically adapted to non-saline soils (1.3 ds/m) while Moris was specifically adapted to saline soils (4.4 to 6.5 ds/m). Therefore, NCO 334, B52-298 and Holland can be recommended for wider adaptation, for further study of ratoon crops and then for verification on larger commercial plots.
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'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) are the names assigned to sugarcane varieties with accession numbers Acc. 43 and Acc. 139, respectively. They were developed by Sugar Corporation, Research and Development... more
'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) are the names assigned to sugarcane varieties with accession numbers Acc. 43 and Acc. 139, respectively. They were developed by Sugar Corporation, Research and Development and were registered and released in June 2019 by the National Variety Releasing Committee of Ethiopia to growers in three sugar estates in Ethiopia. 'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' were selected from local landraces collected during 2010/11 from different geographic regions across Ethiopia. The released varieties 'Tafach Shenkora' and 'Kay Shenkora' have high sugar yield (by 29.6% and 28.4%, respectively), early maturity and yield stability across locations compared to the standard check B52298. They also showed resistance to smut caused by Ustilago scitaminea. The average sugar yield for Tafach Shenkora and Kay Shenkora was 26.14 and 25.88 tons ha-1, respectively. These cultivars are the first of their kind to be released from sugarcane landraces collected in Ethiopia.
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The objective of this study was to evaluate the G x E (genotype × environment) interaction using AMMI and GGE-biplot analysis for sugar yield of sugarcane genotypes and identify stable clones in the old sugar estates of Ethiopia. Eleven... more
The objective of this study was to evaluate the G x E (genotype × environment) interaction using AMMI and GGE-biplot analysis for sugar yield of sugarcane genotypes and identify stable clones in the old sugar estates of Ethiopia. Eleven sugarcane clones plus one control clone were evaluated during three crop cycles (plant cane and first and second ratoon crops) in eight environments. The experiment was laid out as randomized complete block design with three replicates in over 3 years and locations. Adaptability and phenotypic stability of the sugarcane clones were evaluated using Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and Genotype main effect and genotype x environment interaction (GGE). AMMI analyses revealed significant (P < 0.01) genotype and environmental effects as well as G × E with respect to sugar yield. In the analysis of variance, 48.8% of the sugar yield variation was explained by the environment, 16.9% by differences among genotypes, and 16.8% by GE interaction. GGE-biplot models showed that the eight environments used for the study belonged to two mega-environments. According to AMMI and the GGE results, clones G3 (FG05-424), the check variety G5 (NCO334), and G10 (FG06-750) were the most productive in tons of sugar per hectare and stable and recommended for the test environments. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Our research group is involved in research on sugarcane breeding and biotechnology. The team is working on evaluation and maintenance of sugarcane genetic resources and provision of adaptable high performing sugarcane varieties to the various sugarcane producing agro-ecologies in Ethiopia. Research areas of interest include study of abiotic and biotic stresses to sugarcane crop production and producing superior high yielding varieties that enhance productivity of the sugar industry. PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT In Ethiopia, as in other tropical countries, sugar-cane is the main source of sugar and sugar industry plays a significant role in the socioecon-omy of the country. The sugarcane breeding program aims to select new genotypes with local or broad adaptation to provide high yields over several crop years within target environments representative of different cultivation areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the G x E interaction using AMMI and GGE-biplot analysis for sugar yield of sugarcane genotypes and identify stable clones in the old sugar estates of Ethiopia. Findings of the study confirmed that the eight environments used for the study belonged to two mega-environments. Sugarcane clones performing consistently in the test environments were identified and recommended. Findings from this study indicate representative test environments for future evaluation of sugarcane clones.
Sugarcane has been cultivated by smallholder farmers since 16 th century in Ethiopia and preceded the commercial production. However, as far as this study is concerned, no exploration and collection have been conducted to know the... more
Sugarcane has been cultivated by smallholder farmers since 16 th century in Ethiopia and preceded the commercial production. However, as far as this study is concerned, no exploration and collection have been conducted to know the landraces and study the regional diversity of the crop. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to collect native sugarcane landraces in Ethiopia and to assess phenotypic diversity and analyze regional distribution among landraces collected from different geographical regions. More than 300 sugarcane genotypes were collected. The landraces were analyzed for 21 quantitative stalk and juice quality characters and 16 qualitative characters. Phenotypic diversity among landraces was high, as expressed by the large range of variation for mean quantitative traits and the high (0.80) Shannon–Weaver diversity index. Our results provided experimental evidence on occurrence of geographical variation and significant within-region variation where it was high in the regions of Amhara, Benshangul-Gumz, and SNNPR. Wide variability of agronomically important characters in sugarcane such as millable stalk count at harvest, single cane weight, and plant height was observed among regions. These characters also demonstrated high correlation with cane and sugar yield and the altitude of the collection sites. Therefore breeders can utilize accessions of regions showing variability for these characters in selection programs and to design breeding strategies to produce varieties with best commercial merits. The present study contributes to updating sugarcane descriptors adopted from USDA-ARS as well as Bioversity passport data for the future collection and evaluation. The paper discussed insinuation of the results with regard to plant breeding, germplasm collection, and conservation as well as the plausible sources for the wide range of variation observed. This is the first study to report landrace sugarcane genetic resources in Ethiopia and information on geographical pattern of variation in Ethiopian local sugarcane germplasm.
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To study the relations of certain morphological and sugar quality characters with sugarcane yield, an experiment was conducted at Wonji and Metehara Sugar Estates, Ethiopia between March 2012 and October 2013. The experiment, comprising... more
To study the relations of certain morphological and sugar quality characters with sugarcane yield, an experiment was conducted at Wonji and Metehara Sugar Estates, Ethiopia between March 2012 and October 2013. The experiment, comprising of 400 sugarcane genotypes of which 174 were local that were collected from different regional states of Ethiopia and 226 introduced, was laid out in partial balanced lattice design with two replications. Data was collected on cane yield and its components, sugar yield and sugar quality traits. ANOVA, correlation and path coefficient analysis were done. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences (P < 0.01) for all the characters studied. Cane yield showed strong positive and highly significant (P < 0.01) correlation with milla-ble cane number (r = 0.832), single cane weight (r = 0.528), stalk height (r = 0.517) and sugar yield (r = 0.987). There was also positive significant (P = 0.05) correlation of tiller count and cane diameter with cane yield. Path analysis revealed the highest positive direct effect of millable cane number (0.812) on cane yield followed by single cane weight (0.682) and pol percent (0.550). However, stalk diameter and brix percent had considerable negative direct effects and indirect positive effects through single cane weight on cane yield. Therefore, in view of their significant positive association with cane yield, indirect effects of stalk diameter and brix percent via single cane weight should be considered during selection. Genotypes should be selected on the basis of millable cane number, single cane weight and pol percent for getting higher cane and sugar yield.
Information about the amount and distribution of genetic variation in germplasm collections is important for their efficient management and effective utilization in plant breeding. Therefore this study was conducted to assess genetic... more
Information about the amount and distribution of genetic variation in germplasm collections is important for their efficient management and effective utilization in plant breeding. Therefore this study was conducted to assess genetic diversity of sugarcane germplasm in Ethiopia. An experiment comprising of 400 sugarcane genotypes (174 local and 226 introduced) was conducted between March 2012 and October 2013 at Wonji and Metehara Sugar Estates using partial balanced lattice design with two replications. Data was recorded on 21 quantitative characters which included cane yield and its components: sugar yield and sugar quality traits. ANOVA portrayed highly significant differences (P < 0.01) among the genotypes for 21 quantitative traits. Cluster analysis revealed intra cluster D 2 values ranging from 2.16-10.60 and inter cluster from 7.24-5864. There were six principal components accounting for 79.26% of the total variation in the tested materials. Millable stalk count, single cane weight, stalk diameter, cane yield, sugar yield and sugar quality traits showed high positive loading on the first two PCs and accounted for most of the variation observed among the genotypes. Therefore, this study suggested that the important characters responsible for diversity in the sugarcane genotypes could be grouped in two principal components namely " Yield " and " Quality " with " Yield " traits being comparatively more important than " Quality ". Genotypes clustered for high mean values of various traits could be exploited for further improvement of the crop either through selection or through hybridization. The clusters having high mean value for yield could be selected for yield per se as well.
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To assess broad sense heritability and phenotypic and genetic correlations among sugarcane yield components, an experiment was conducted at Wonji and Metehara Sugar Estates of Sugar Corporation of Ethiopia during 2012/2013. High broad... more
To assess broad sense heritability and phenotypic and genetic correlations among sugarcane yield components, an experiment was conducted at Wonji and Metehara Sugar Estates of Sugar Corporation
of Ethiopia during 2012/2013. High broad sense heritability (h2) was detected for stalk diameter (0.730), single cane weight (0.672), millable cane number (0.624), stalk height (0.624) and pol % (0.608), indicating that these traits could be selected for easily. Expected genetic gain of
the yield components was moderate to high. All traits had low to high genetic correlations (rg =−0.005 to 0.884) with cane yield and (rg = 0.027 to 0.999) with sugar yield. On average genetic correlations were higher than phenotypic correlations. High Genotypic Coefficient of Variation
(GCV), broad sense heritability and expected genetic advance were recorded for stalk diameter, single cane weight and millable cane number. A selection strategy based on these traits could lead
to improvement in cane and sugar yield.
of Ethiopia during 2012/2013. High broad sense heritability (h2) was detected for stalk diameter (0.730), single cane weight (0.672), millable cane number (0.624), stalk height (0.624) and pol % (0.608), indicating that these traits could be selected for easily. Expected genetic gain of
the yield components was moderate to high. All traits had low to high genetic correlations (rg =−0.005 to 0.884) with cane yield and (rg = 0.027 to 0.999) with sugar yield. On average genetic correlations were higher than phenotypic correlations. High Genotypic Coefficient of Variation
(GCV), broad sense heritability and expected genetic advance were recorded for stalk diameter, single cane weight and millable cane number. A selection strategy based on these traits could lead
to improvement in cane and sugar yield.
An investigation was made for two consecutive seasons (2000 and 2001) to determine the critical period of weed competition and yield and quality loss of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. The experiment was... more
An investigation was made for two consecutive seasons (2000 and 2001) to determine the critical period of weed competition and yield and quality loss of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the Middle Awash, Ethiopia. The experiment was conducted at two sites viz. research field of Werer Agricultural Research Center and Werer Cotton State Farm. Quantitative series of both increasing duration of weedy and weed free periods were compared with complete weed free and weedy check. Treatments were arranged in RCBD with three replications. Data was collected on yield and yield components and lint quality parameters. At both locations, the mean yields of weed-infested treatments showed a decline as the weed infestation period increased and vice versa as the weed free period increased. Yield loss of 62-96% occurred when weeding was completely denied. The study indicated that the critical period of weed competition in cotton in the Middle Awash was early to medium growth stage of the cotton plant, i.e. 20-60 days after crop emergence. This indicates that the weed management practice should focus on this stage to suppress weed competition and achieve optimum yield. Weeds which emerge after the critical period still need to be controlled to avoid harvesting difficulties and lint contamination and should not be allowed to set seed, as this will lead to increased weed problems in later seasons. With regard to quality parameters of cotton lint, a one-year data (2000) showed a significant difference (p≤0.05) for micronaire value and fiber maturity percent.
The study was conducted during 2012/2013 at Wonji Sugar Estate, Ethiopia, to estimate the extent of morphological diversity among sugarcane germplasm based on 16 qualitative traits. Four hundred sugarcane genotypes grouped in 20 locations... more
The study was conducted during 2012/2013 at Wonji Sugar Estate, Ethiopia, to estimate the extent of morphological diversity among sugarcane germplasm based on 16 qualitative traits. Four hundred sugarcane genotypes grouped in 20 locations were considered. Phenotypic frequency distributions of the characters were analyzed and Shannon-Weaver diversity index (í µí°» í® í°) was computed using the phenotypic frequencies. Results indicated that the variation in í µí°» í® í° within locations was larger than the diversity observed between locations. The value of í µí°» í® í° for all sample genotypes ranged from 0.43 to 0.98 with a mean of 0.87. Considerable phenotypic diversity was observed among the germplasm studied. This information can be used for establishing proper identity of the accessions, strategic conservation of these germplasm resources, and future improvement work of the sugarcane crop. This is the first study to report phenotypic diversity of local and exotic sugarcane genotypes in Ethiopia.
Smallholder sugarcane production sector is under researched and underdeveloped with limited industrial link and support. The objectives of this study were to assess the current state of sugarcane production, farmers' perceived production... more
Smallholder sugarcane production sector is under researched and underdeveloped with limited industrial link and support. The objectives of this study were to assess the current state of sugarcane production, farmers' perceived production constraints and preferred traits, and to collect germplasm grown by smallholder farmers in southern Ethiopia for strategic breeding and conservation. The study was conducted across 16 administrative zones, 28 districts and 56 peasant associations involving 560 smallholder sugarcane growers in southern Ethiopia using a participatory rural appraisal approach. Sugarcane genetic resources were collected through structured sampling. Findings from this study indicated that monocropping was identified as the predominant sugarcane farming system. Respondent farmers prioritized drought tolerance (21%), increased cane yield (20%), early maturity (18%), marketability (17%), and high biomass (14%) as the top preferred traits of sugarcane. Ninety diverse sugarcane landraces were collected from homesteads of smallholder farmers. Findings from this study would serve as baseline information towards sugarcane research and development emphasizing the constraints and preferences of smallholder sugarcane growers in Ethiopia or similar agro-ecologies.
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Aim: To assess genetic variability/diversity and study population structure among local sugarcane germplasm collections in Ethiopia using SSR markers. Place and Duration Methodology: For genomic DNA isolation young leaves of 100 local... more
Aim: To assess genetic variability/diversity and study population structure among local sugarcane germplasm collections in Ethiopia using SSR markers. Place and Duration Methodology: For genomic DNA isolation young leaves of 100 local sugarcane genotypes growing in different geographic regions of Ethiopia by small holder farmers were used. Genetic diversity and population structure of the genotypes was evaluated using twenty two SSR markers. Results: The markers amplified a total of 260 alleles, of which 225 (86.5%) were polymorphic with a mean of 10.2 alleles per SSR locus. The high number of alleles and polymorphic nature of these SSR markers indicated their robustness in quantifying the genetic diversity of sugarcane cultivars. The range in allele number was 4–22. PIC values ranged from 0.214 to 0.348 with an average of 0.291. Measures of effective number of alleles and genetic diversity on average were 1.52 and 0.299, respectively, across all the 22 markers evaluated. Cluster and PCoA analysis assigned clones into three main distinct clusters and nine major groups. Genotypes were grouped in separate clusters irrespective of their geographic location. F ST values among pairs of populations ranged from 0.0018 (between Tigray and Gambella) to 0.4003 (between Benshangul-Gumz and Amhara) with an overall average of 0.0903. The average gene flow (Nm) among populations was equal to 1.6907. Average Nei's unbiased genetic distance was high (0.167) between Tigray and SNNPR populations and low (0.001) between accessions of Oromia and Amhara. Genetic identity values were in the range of 0.791 to 1.000. Conclusion: High level of local sugarcane germplasm genetic diversity is present in Ethiopia, the genetic relationship information of the cultivars will help sugarcane breeders to select the appropriate parents in their breeding programs to maximize yield, maintain diversity as well as developing mapping population.
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The present study was performed to study genetic relationships and population differentiation of 90 introduced sugarcane accessions in Ethiopia by means of 22 SSR molecular markers. The 22 SSR markers amplified a total of 260 alleles, of... more
The present study was performed to study genetic relationships and population differentiation of 90 introduced sugarcane accessions in Ethiopia by means of 22 SSR molecular markers. The 22 SSR markers amplified a total of 260 alleles, of which 230 were polymorphic with a mean of 10.45 alleles per SSR locus. The range in allele number was 4–22. A high level of polymorphism with a mean of 60.51% polymorphic loci within the genotypes was detected. The polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.231 to 0.375 with an average of 0.303. Measures of effective number of alleles and genetic diversity on average were 1.55 and 0.317, respectively, across all the 22 markers evaluated. The SSR genetic profiles obtained using the 22 markers enabled complete discrimination among all the 90 introduced sugarcane cultivars. The neighbor-joining unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis based on the simple matching dissimilarity indices unambiguously distinguished all sugarcane genotypes with three major clusters and 11 groups. The same clustering pattern was also found in the PCoA analysis. In all the geographical populations, genotypes from the same country were often in different clusters and likewise accessions from different countries often clustered together indicating the possibility of exchange of materials between countries. Population genetic differentiation showed Fst values among pairs of populations ranging from 0.0024 to 0.5134 with an overall average of 0.0590. The average gene flow (Nm) among populations was 1.7213. Nei’s unbiased genetic distance ranged from 0.018 to 0.279 with an overall average of 0.053. Genetic identity values were in the range of 0.756 to 0.992 with overall average of 0.950. The genetic relationship information of the cultivars will help sugarcane breeders to select the appropriate parents in their breeding programs to maximize yield as well as to maintain genetic diversity.
Key words: Sugarcane, Ethiopia, simple sequence repeats (SSR), genetic diversity, population genetic differentiation.
Key words: Sugarcane, Ethiopia, simple sequence repeats (SSR), genetic diversity, population genetic differentiation.