Pre Extension Demonstration and Evaluation of Faba Bean Technologies at Highlands of Guji Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract When newly released varieties from agricultural research centers are demonstrated and marketed to farmers, they have a significant impact on crop productivity. This research investigates yield performance and profitability of the Matti faba bean variety released under farmer conditions. The trial was conducted on a sample of 14 farmers land on 10m x 10m area. The newly released Matti variety was demonstrated with the Walki variety serving as a standard check. Mini-field day and training extension approaches were used to promote faba bean technology. Measurement and interviews were used to collect data, and the collected data were analyzed using likert scales, descriptive analysis, and net income. It was found that the Matti and Walki varieties yielded 25.86 and 23.77 qt/ha, respectively. With returns of 81083.93 and 70966.07 birr/ha, respectively, Matti and Walki production is also beneficial for farmers. In the faba bean production, farmers’ preferred qualities such as sweetness, number of branches/plant, and disease resistance variety. The finding of this research revealed that the newly released Matti variety was rated highest in faba bean production based on the qualities needed by farmers. The Matti variety is recommended for better faba bean production in highland parts of the Guji zone due to its higher yield, higher profit, and farmer preference. Farmers’ preferences for particular qualities should be taken into account when releasing improved faba bean varieties in the study areas. Keywords: Bore; Demonstration; Farmers’ preference; Matti variety