Turcicum leaf blight (TLB) (Exserohilum turcicum) is a major disease affecting maize production in western Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of maize varieties integrated with fungicides on epidemics of turcicum leaf blight; to determine the effect of turcicum leaf blight severity on yield and yield components of maize; and to assess the cost and benefit of using fungicides. ) and marginal rate of return (ETB 6.33) were obtained from propiconazole-treated varieties BH-543 and BH-546, respectively. This study contributes to integrated TLB management options, and to make a valid recommendation for TLB management strategy, the study should be repeated over years and locations where TLB of maize is of major economic importance.

Inappropriate crop management practices are among the key elements contributed to low productivity of Barley.Moreover, application of balanced fertilizers and nutrient requirements of the crop is the basis to produce more crop yield from the land under cultivation. Accordingly, field experiment was conducted in 2018 & 2019 main cropping season from the mid of July to first of December at Gedo and Shambu research station to identify the optimum amount of NPS and N fertilizer rate and to evaluate the economic profitability of NPS and N fertilizers for Barley production. The experiment was consisted of twenty treatments combined factorial with five NPS (75, 87.5, 100, 112.5 and 125 kg ha-1) and four Nitrogen (17, 23, 29 and 35 kg ha-1) rates keeping the other managements and cultural practices uniform. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replication. The pre soil analysis indicated that the soil of experimental area is acidic (pH = 4.99 at Gedo and 4.98 at shambu) and low in available Phosphorus (12 ppm at Gedo and 13 ppm at Shambu). The main effect of days to heading, grain per spike, thousand seed weight and harvest index were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced due to NPS and N rate. Whereas, days to maturity, plant height and panicle length were significantly different (P<0.05) due to the main effects of N rates though not influenced due to NPS rates at Gedo and Shambu. On the other hand, number of effective tiller, grain yield and above ground biomass were highly significantly (P<0.01) influenced due to the main and interaction effect of NPS and N rates at both locations. Among different NPS and N fertilizer rates tested, the combination of 125 NPS and 35 N kg ha-1 rates gave the highest yield thereby resulting in the highest net benefit. Thus, economic analysis indicated that combination of 125 NPS (47.5 P 2 O 5 , 23.75 N, 8.75 S kg ha-1) and 35 N kg ha-1 rates on HB -1307 variety gave grain yield (3631.79 kg ha-1) with the net benefit (39849.01 birr/ha) and the highest marginal rate of return (992.16%) are economically feasible alternative to the other treatments. Therefore it is advisable to use combination of 125 NPS and 35N kg/ha rates on HB -1307 variety since economically feasible to the farmers. However, to reach at conclusive idea there is future line of work to get the peak point at which this fertilizer combination showed turning point.

Wheat stem rust caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp tritici is constant biotic constraint of wheat production across the world. Because of quick alteration of genetic makeup of wheat stem rust pathogen; monitoring shift in virulence within pathogen is crucial to avoid sudden occurrence of epidemics due race change. This study was to identify physiological races stem rust pathogen in Ethiopia during 2019 cropping season. Wheat stem rust samples were collected during 2019 main cropping season from major wheat growing areas of Oromia, Amhara, Tigray and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples regions of Ethiopia. Besides, samples were also collected from Afar region where wheat was grown by irrigation during off season. The samples where isolated on universally wheat stem rust susceptible line (McNair) for the sake of mono pustule isolation and multiplication to have sufficient spores. Each isolates where inoculated on twenty standard differential lines and each line was evaluated after fourteen days to determine the races. Eight stem rust races namely, TKKTF, TKTTF, TTTTF, TKKTT, TTKTT, TTRTF, TKPTF and TTKTF were identified from samples analyzed; TKKTF was identified from 175 (44.1%) stem rust isolates, while TTTTF was detected from 73 (18.4) samples analyzed. In addition, TKTTF was isolated from 70 (17.8%) samples; however, TTKTF, TTKTT, TTRTF, TKPTF and TKKTT were recorded from 48 (12.1%), 21 (5.3%), 4 (1%), 1 (0.25%) and 1 (0.25%) samples analyzed in the season. TTKTT races have 95% virulence spectra to stem rust

Two separate experiments were done for seedling and adult resistance in rice varieties against blast. Each experiment consists of 20 varieties and is evaluated under artificial inoculation with blast. The result of the study confirmed that NERICA varieties have shown low disease infection at the seedling stage whereas the varieties Chewaka and Edget have shown adult plant resistance. Severe yield reduction and highly diseased grain were obtained from Superica-1, which is highly susceptible at adult plant stage. In contrast, the maximum grain yield was obtained from the Chewaka and Edget varieties, these having a high level of adult resistance. Therefore, Chewaka and Edget are promising candidates for utilization in yield and blast resistance in rice improvement.