LEGUME CHIOCE PLANNING MEETING, JUNE 2014, IRLI CAMPUS, ADDIS ABABA KEY CONSTRAINTS TO LEGUME EXPANSION IN JELDU WEREDA, WEST SHEWA, OROMIA GROUP MEMBERS 1.Dr Fekede Feyissa (Animal Feed, EIAR) 2.Dr Gemechu Keneni (Legume Breeder, EIAR) 3.Tibebu Seifu (Animal Production, WBoA) 4.Jonson Negewo (NRM, WBoA)

CROP PRODUCTION STATUS CategoryCrop typesProportion Cereals Wheat, barley, tef, maize, sorghum 78% of 46, 000 ha Legumes Faba bean, field pea 15% of 46, 000 ha Oilcrops Linseed, noug, gomenzer, sesame 5% of 46, 000 ha Horticultural crops Potato2% of 46, 000 ha Forage/tree legumes Tree Lucerne, Leucaena Limited to backyard

Why legumes?  Food (family consumption)  Household income  Soil fertility restoration  Crop rotation  Product diversification

How legumes are produced within systems? Mixed culture of faba bean and field pea Sole cultures of faba bean and field pea In rotation with cereals As life fence in the backyard (tree legumes) Rarely oats-vetch mixture for hay making

Current yields  Wheat = q/ha  Barley = q/ha  Tef = 8-18 q/ha  Maize = q/ha  Sorghum = q/ha  Faba bean = 7-12 q/ha  Field pea = 4-9 q/ha  Linseed = 4-6 q/ha  Noug = 5-8 q/ha  Sesame = 3-6 q/ha  Gomenzer = 3-7 q/ha  Potato = q/ha

Current yields … Forage biomass (DM)  Oats = t/ha  Vetch = 5-8 t/ha  Tree Lucerne = 7-10 t/ha per cut (minimum two cuts a year)  Desho grass = t/ha per cut (minimum two cuts a year)

CONSTRAINTS TO LEGUME EXPANSION  Soil acidity  Low soil temperature  Enterprise competitiveness  Foliar diseases/insects/weeds

CONSTRAINTS TO LEGUME EXPANSION …  Hail and frost damage  Lack of improved production technologies  Low awareness on the role of legumes in agricultural sustainability  Allotment of marginal land and least priority in terms of production inputs, crop management and protection practices

Lack of intensification of livestock production Shortage and low productivity of land Shortage, timely supply and high price of production inputs (seed, fertilizer) CONSTRAINTS TO LEGUME EXPANSION …

Ongoing Initiatives

Performance of improved faba bean variety at Jeldu

 Hitherto research efforts resulted in a number of improved production technologies – a matter of building on success!  Nation-wide scaling up of “high value” crops production technologies already underway – a suitable ground!  Nation-wide amelioration of acid soil with lime expected to be launched soon – pulses are more sensitive to soil acidity than many other crops (with the exception of maybe soybean)  This is a time when risks of cereal-cereal monoculture in some potential production areas is already considered a national threat (at technical and policy levels)  Positive output:input price ratio with good local and export markets Ongoing Initiatives …

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