Analysing the impact of GLDC innovations for managing abiotic and biotic stresses in the agro-ecosystems

Abstract

The study aims to identify the GLDC innovations adopted by chickpea and lentil farmers, and impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on chickpea and lentil. Biotic (diseases and insect pests) survey was done from October 28-Novemeber 2, 2018 in major chickpea and lentil growing zones (North and East Shoa Zones) in Central highlands of Ethiopia. Most of the chickpea and lentil innovations (high yielding and disease resistant chickpea and lentil cultivars and early sowing) were validated and adopted by farmers. However, farmers do not have any innovation for late planted lentil on residual moisture. The survey covered both early and late planted chickpea and lentil. The survey observed major biotic stresses, and identified innovations used by farmers to manage biotic and abiotic stresses in lentil and chickpea fields. It is recommended that (1) integrated pest management should be developed and introduced to manage viruses and their vectors on both crops, (2) new sources of virus resistance should be developed for both chickpea and lentil (through FP4), and (3) research of pesticide efficacy based on insect pest developmental stage needs to be tested since most farmers complained that the pesticide they spayed did not contrail mainly pod borer on chickpea.