ISSN 2360-798X
The West Hararghe Zone in the Oromia Regional State is an important onion-producing area in Ethiopia, thanks to its favorable climate. However, farmers in this region face several challenges, including limited access to improved onion varieties, insufficient knowledge of modern farming techniques, and weak agricultural extension services. These issues have led to lower productivity compared to yields obtained at research stations. To address these challenges, a pre-extension demonstration of improved onion varieties and their production practices was conducted in the Chiro and Gemechis districts in 2023 and 2024. The main objective of the study was to showcase a newly released onion variety called Nafis, alongside a standard check variety known as Red Bombay. Twelve volunteer growers demonstrated the two onion varieties on 100 m² plots. The Nafis variety produced an average yield of 275.51 quintals per hectare, while the Red Bombay variety yielded 249.63 quintals per hectare. Statistical analysis revealed significant yield differences among all tested treatments, except Nafis grown under farmer conditions and Red Bombay on the demonstration plot, with a probability level of less than 1%. The Nafis variety is preferred for its higher yield, good bulb size, disease tolerance, and better storability. It is recommended that the Nafis variety be promoted through the Ministry of Agriculture in the study area and disseminated in similar agro ecological zones.
Keywords: Demonstration, Technologies and Pair wise comparison