DIVERSITY OF FENUGREEK (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) ACCESSIONS FROM AGROMORPHOLOGICAL, GEOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXTS IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Information on the diversity of landraces is necessary to improve the crops through selection and/or hybridization. This study was conducted to generate information on diversity of fenugreek accessions, associated traits, and to document cropping practices, utilization, and socio-cultural aspects of fenugreek. A total of 160 accessions including one local and four improved standard checks were evaluated in an augmented design at Raare, Haramaya University research site in 2016. Data were collected on 11 quantitative traits. A survey was conducted in five woredas of Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Regional States and data were collected using structured and semi-structured interviews from 144 general and 24 key informants. Results from analysis of variance of field experiment revealed the presence of significant differences among accessions for all traits. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation ranged from 5.95 to 56.91% and 6.47 to 58.88%, respectively, where the lowest and highest values were computed for days of flowering (DF) and number of pods per plant (NPPP), respectively. Heritability in the broad sense and expected genetic gain as percent mean varied from 60.98 (average pod length, APL) to 96.05% (number of primary branches, NPB) and from 2.53 (seed yield per hectare, Yhkg) to 70.33% (number of secondary branches, NSB), respectively. Grain yield had positive and significant correlation with number of pods per plant (NPPP), number of secondary branches (NSB), number of primary branches (NPB) and seed yield per plant (SYPP) both at genotypic and phenotypic levels, whereas it had negative and significant correlation with APL. Days to maturity (DM), SYPP, NSB and NPPP had positive direct effect both at genotypic and phenotypic levels and NPB, APL, PHF, via SYPP while, NSPP,TSW and DF through NPB, and NPPP had positive indirect effect on yield at genotypic level suggested these traits could be considered for indirect selection of genotypes for yield. The first five principal components accounted 65% of the total variation of which the first principal component accounted for about 19.7% due to the numbers of primary and secondary branches. Genetic distances of genotypes measured by Euclidean distance ranged from 0.07 to 10.6 and the dendrogram constructed by using the Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic means (UPGMA) grouped accessions into 21 major clusters suggested a higher chance of developing varieties through direct selection and/or crossing of genotypes. From the survey, „Hulbata guracha‟ (by 98.5% of the farmers) and „Hulbata dima‟ in Eastern Hararghe Zone and „Abesha abish‟ (by 94.5% of the farmers) and „Orome abish‟ in Yem Special woreda were reported as popular farmers cultivars. The farmers gave name of the cultivars mainly on the basis of seed color, seed source and taste. Sole cropping of fenugreek was more common in Yem (72.2%), whereas intercropping with sourgam and khat was common in East Hararghe (65.3%)) and crop rotation was practiced in both East Hararghe (97.2%)) and Yem woreda (88.8%). The farmers in survey woredas use fenugreek mainly as food in east Hararghe (100%) while in Yem it is used mainly as spice (100%). The presence of variability among fenugreek landraces was evident from field experiment but during survey study it was distinguished only limited number of landraces.