Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in sub-Saharan Africa yet remains a net importer. Increasing domestic wheat production is a national priority. Improved varieties provide an important pathway to enhancing productivity and stability of production. Reliably tracking varietal use and dynamics is a challenge, and the value of conventional recall surveys is increasingly questioned. We report the first nationally representative, large-scale wheat DNA fingerprinting study undertaken in Ethiopia. Plot level comparison of DNA fingerprinting with farmer recall from nearly 4000 plots in the 2016/17 season indicates that only 28% of farmers correctly named wheat varieties grown. The DNA study reveals that new, rust resistant bread wheat varieties are now widely adopted. Germplasm originating from CGIAR centres has made a significant contribution. Corresponding productivity gains and economic benefits have been substantial, indicating high returns to investments in wheat improvement. The study provides an accurate assessment of wheat varietal status and sets a benchmark for national policy-makers and donors. In recent decades, the Ethiopian wheat landscape has transformed from local tetraploid varieties to widespread adoption of high yielding, rust resistant bread wheat. We demonstrate that DNA fingerprinting can be applied at scale and is likely to transform future crop varietal adoption studies.

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Durum wheat is an important cereal grown in Ethiopia, a country which is also its center for genetic diversity. Yellow (stripe) rust caused by Puccinia striiformis fsp tritici is one of the most devastating diseases threatening Ethiopian wheat production. To identify sources of genetic resistance and combat this pathogen, we conducted a genome wide association study of yellow rust resistance on 300 durum wheat accessions comprising 261 landraces and 39 cultivars. The accessions were evaluated for their field resistance using a modified Cobb scale at Meraro, Kulumsa and Chefe Donsa in the 2015 and 2016 main growing seasons. Analysis of the 35K Axiom Array genotyping data of the panel resulted in a total of 8,797 polymorphic SNPs of which 7,093 were used in subsequent analyses. Population structure analysis suggested two groups in which the cultivars clearly stood out separately from the landraces. Eleven SNPs significantly associated with yellow rust resistance were identified on four chromosomes (1A, 1B, 2B, and 5A) which defined at least five genomic loci. Six of the SNPs were consistently identified on chromosome 1B singly at each and combined overall environments which explained 62.6–64.0% of the phenotypic variation (R2). Resistant allele frequency ranged from 14.0–71.0%; Zooming in to the identified resistance loci revealed the presence of disease resistance related genes involved in the plant defense system such as the ABC transporter gene family, disease resistance protein RPM1 (NBS-LRR class), Receptor kinases and Protein kinases. This study has provided SNPs for tracking the loci associated with yellow rust resistance and a diversity panel which can be used for association study of other agriculturally important traits in durum wheat.

The present research was carried out to identify and document the landrace diversity and ethnobotanical uses of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) (Fabaceae) in Southwestern and Eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected through field observations, semi-structured interviews, guided field walk with cowpea farmers and users, and market surveys. Descriptive statistics, preference ranking and informant consensus were employed in the analysis. Forty-four cowpea accessions were collected from geographical locations ranging from 428-2128 m.a.s.l. and 05° 17' 06.6" to 09°33' 58.5'' N and 34° 15' 54.5'' to 42° 26' 30.4'' E. The landraces had diverse seed sizes, colours, growth habits and germination potentials. Local variety 'Rapo' (Anywaa language) of V. unguiculata subsp. dekindtiana was found in Gambella Region; 'Atera babile' (Oromo language) of V. unguiculata subsp. cylindrica and subsp. unguiculata were found in all regions studied. Farmers grew cowpea for the purposes of human food, livestock Feed, improving soil fertility and medicine. The majority of farmers (63.33%) preferred the widely known 'Atera babile' which belongs to subsp. unguiculata because of its spreading nature, ability to produce more biomass than other varieties, effectiveness for improving soil fertility and ability to supersede weeds as a ground cover. Further research should focus on local landraces maintained by farmers and the crop wild relative is a worthwhile undertaking given its local importance and for future genetic improvement both as a food and feed crop.

Stripe (Yellow) rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici (Pst) is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat in the highlands of Ethiopia. Improved cultivars often lose their resistance due to occurrence of new virulent races which overcome the genes and make the cultivars out of production. Therefore, identification of new sources of resistance genes helps in battling yellow rust and maximizes wheat production in Ethiopia. In this study, 300 durum wheat lines (landraces & cultivars) were screened with three virulent isolates (Pst_Is1, Pst_Is4 and Pst_Is8) for seedling resistance using Infection Type (IT) scoring method. The lines were also screened with 16 KASP-based SNP markers linked to 7 Yr genes already identified in various studies. Highly resistant infection type (IT: 0-3) to Pst_Is1, Pst_Is4, and Pst_Is8 was exhibited by 59.3%; 67.3%; and 46.3% of the lines, respectively. 124 lines constantly exhibited high level of resistance to all three isolates. The majority (96.8%) of the resistant lines are landraces while four (3.2%) are commercial cultivars (Cocorit/71, Yerer, Obsa and Dire). In the molecular screening 12 of the markers gave clear amplifications in the controls and the tested lines. Yr7, Yr15 and YrSp were detected in 81.7%, 88.3% and 0.7% of the lines respectively while Yr1, Yr17 and Yr36 were not detected. Detection frequency was higher in landraces (58.7%) than in cultivars (32.8%). Gene combinations frequency was the highest (72.7%) for Yr7+Yr15 followed by Yr15+YrSp (0.3%). Overall, this study has resulted in detection of genes Yr15 and YrSp, which are potential candidates for marker assisted breeding for Pst resistance in wheat. Besides, it has shown that resistant source identification and detection of genes can be facilitated through combined application of phenotyping and molecular screening.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) mapping populations have been developed that are useful to study the inheritance of quantitative resistance to adapted and unadapted rust fungi. In a recent host range study, we found that the parents of those mapping populations also differed in their resistance to the crown rust Puccinia coronata (PcE) of couch grass (Elymus repens), as well as three isolates of P. striiformis, representing formae speciales hordei (Psh), tritici (Pst) and bromi (Psb). Available mapping populations were phenotyped at the seedling stage to map the genes conferring resistance to these rust isolates. Resistances to PcE, Psb and Pst inherit quantitatively. This contrasted with reports that barley nonhost resistance to unadapted formae speciales of P. striiformis is based on major genes. We mapped QTLs effective against PcE using relative latency period and relative infection frequency. Some QTLs for resistance were contributed by 'Vada' and 'Cebada Capa', others by SusPtrit. One PcE-resistance QTL on 3H, contributed by 'Cebada Capa', co-localised with a QTL effective against four unadapted grass rust species, indicating either a single gene with broad-spectrum effectiveness or a cluster of rather specific genes. Chromosome arm 7HL from Vada seems particularly rich in genes for resistance to rust fungi. Resistance to Pst and Psb, measured as the number of uredinia, tended to co-localise with each other and mapped to Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

The study was conducted at Gechi in-situ forest conservation site to investigate woody plant species diversity. To collect the inventory data, a systematic and predetermined sampling system was followed. The main objectives of the study was to undergo inventory of the indigenous woody species, assessing the regeneration status, to determine the floristic composition and set the priority list of woody plant species for the vegetation of the area. Study was conducted during in January 2019. Gechi in-situ conservation site land feature was valley the transect line was laid along the valley ridge. All ten transects ware laid from west to east direction with forward bearing of 32°, between transects 150mt distance and also the quadrates were established with regular interval of 200 m from each other. In general, a total of three transects, 31 quadrates and 62 sub-quadrates were used to collect the inventory data from the Gechi in-situ site vegetation. From the inventoried a total of 47 woody plant specimens were collected; out of which 46 specimens were identified to the species level. Major threat of the Gechi forest recording during the study were 1.1% clearing for agriculture, 31.1% and 34.4% of the negative impacts were attributed by browsing and grazing respectively with moderate and intensive (heavy) levels and also 33.3% of forest was cutting of Bamboo for fence construction with the intensity of moderate to intensive disturbance level. To overcome forest disturbance proper conservation has to be taken to solve the problems and prevent the forest from forest disturbance factors.

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