The knowledge of nature and magnitude of variation existing in available breeding materials is great importance for successful selection of varieties. This study was conducted to generate information on the extent of genetic variability in advanced bread wheat lines. Thirty bread wheat genotypes were tested at Sinana and Agarfa, Southeastern Ethiopia, in alpha lattice design with three replications. Combined over locations ANOVA was carried out for yield and yield related traits. There were highly significant differences among genotypes for all traits. Highly significant location effects at P < 0.01 were observed for yield and yield related except for harvest index which showed significant effect at P < 0.05 and grain yield non-significant location effect. This indicates the presence of variability for these characters among the tested genotypes. In combined analysis, grain yield had high PCV (27.1%) and moderate GCV was observed for biomass weight, grain yield and harvest index. Phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) moderate for biomass weight and harvest index. Heritability estimates in broad sense (H 2) was very high for most of the characters except for grain yield (52.3%) and number of kernel per spike (73.2%). However, low GAM was observed for most of the characters except moderate GAM was observed for harvest index (15.9%). Finally, the presence of variability among the genotypes, performance of heritability and GAM in the tested traits of the genotypes confirmed possibility to increase wheat productivity. Hence, selection and hybridization on those genotypes can be recommended for farther yield improvement of bread wheat.

Four improved bread wheat varieties; Mandoyu (WORRAKATTA/PASTOR), Sanate (14F/HAR1685), Obora (UTIQUE96/FLAG-1) and Dambel (AGUILAL/3/PYN/BAU//MILAN) are developed from ICARDA materials and released in 2014 and 2015, respectively for highland and mid altitude areas of Bale and similar agro-ecologies. The new varieties were tested along with three standard checks (Madawalabu, Sofumer and Tusie) and one local check (Hollandi) at three environments in 2011 to 2012 and 2012 to 2013, respectively during main cropping seasons. The two years data of regional variety trial combined over locations and years provide the newly released varieties showed that superior in grain yield performance, stability, and wide adaptation. The four newly released varieties have good protein content, good physical grain quality, resistant to stem rust, moderately susceptible to yellow rust, moderately resistant to septoria leaf blotch and comparable for leaf rust disease with the checks. The variety Mandoyu, Sanate, Obora and Dambal have been demonstrated and are being cultivated by farmers for production purpose. Hence, the cultivation of these newly released improved bread wheat varieties in the highland and mid altitude areas of major wheat growing environments of the country is highly recommended. This new variety given local name Mandoyu, Sanate, Obora and Dambel, respectively.

A multiplications evaluation was conducted with twenty-eight advanced bread wheat genotypes and two standard checks for two consecutive years 2017 and 2018 at Kulumsa, Asasa, Robe Arsi, Bekoji, Areka, Shambu, Holeta, Adet, Enawari, Awalgera, and Debra Zeit, Ethiopia. The objective of the paper was to describe the agronomic and quality related traits of newly developed bread wheat varieties “Boru” for optimum moisture areas of Ethiopia. Boru is a commercial name given for a newly released variety with the pedigree name SAUAL/MUTUS/6/CNO79//PF70354/MUS/3/PASTOR/4/BAV92*2/5/FH6-1-7/7/CNO79//PF. 70354/MUS/3/PASTOR/4/BAV92*2/5/FH6-1-7 which originated from CIMMYT germplasms. Boru is adapted within the range of altitude 2050 to 2780 masl with annual rainfall amount receiving from 620 to 1290 mm. Boru showed superior overall agronomic performances over the standard check Wane and Hidasse and it had a 9% and 14% yield advantage respectively. The new variety had a bold seed size than the two checks. Boru variety showed relative resistance to stem, yellow and leaf rust as compared to wheat varieties under production at the medium to high land wheat-growing agro-ecologies. Boru offers new hope for resource-poor farmers in rust-prone areas of Ethiopia.  It’s expected to replace the variety ‘Ogolcho’ in medium areas, and ‘Hidasse’ in high land areas of Ethiopia. In addition, the Boru variety is known for its higher protein content (14.37%) than standard check Wane (12.14%) and local check Hidasse (12.3%).

Ethiopia is the largest wheat producer in Sub- Saharan Africa. The productivity of wheat has increased in the last few years in the country, but low as compared to other countries. This low productivity is attributed to a number of factors including biotic, abiotic, shortage of high yielding and stable varieties. The objective of the present study is to identify high yielding and stable genotype. A total of twenty genotypes including Dambal (st. check) and Mada walabu (Local check) were evaluated for two cropping season 2017 and 2018 at four locations: Sinana, Agarfa, Goba and Gololcha. The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications. The result of combined analysis of variance showed high significant differences for genotypes, environment and GE interaction. The result of AMMI analysis indicated that 36.3 %, of the total variability was justified by environment, 28.6% by genotypes and 34.9% by GE interaction whereas IPCA 1 and IPCA 2 explained 74.2% from the total GE. Based on GSI a single criteria for stability and high grain yield, genotypes G9, G1, G14,G10, G15 and G12 have the smallest genotype stability index which means they were stable and high yielding genotype. The best genotype with respect to environment Gololcha 2017 and Gololcha 2018 was genotype G10. Genotypes G3 and G17 were better adapted to environments Agarfa 2017. G12 is high yielder stable across tested locations. Therefore this genotype was identified as candidate genotypes to be verified for possible release.