Performance Evaluation of Oat (Avena sativa) Varieties for Growth, Yield, and Yield Components in Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

The improved feed shortage is main bottleneck of livestock production and productivity in southwest Ethiopia. Hence, the study was conducted in Southwest Ethiopia in Kaffa zone Gimbo district in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons to identify the adaptable and high yielding oat variety (s). The trial consisted of five oat varieties (CI-8250, CI-8237, CI-2291, CI-2806 and ICARDA 6710) which were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that, variety CI-2291 had a higher number leaf and spikelet per plant, number of seed per spike and biomass yield in both cropping season whereas variety CI-8237 had higher number of tillers, leaves number and harvest index than other varieties in both seasons. Higher seed yield was obtained from variety CI-2291 in 2017 and from ICARDA-6710 in 2018 cropping season. Hence, variety CI-2291 showed better performance in some basic growth parameters, dry matter and seed yield from tested varieties in the study area. So, CI-2291 is recommended for studied area and similar agro-ecology. In addition, the adoption of this variety could contribute to sustainable livestock production by improving forage availability during critical feed shortage periods. The findings also provide valuable baseline information for future forage research and variety improvement programs in the region. Further on-farm validation and economic analysis are suggested to strengthen dissemination and enhance farmer adoption under smallholder production systems.