Registration of ‘Babile-1’, ‘Babile-2’, and ‘Babile-3’ Groundnut Varieties

Abstract

In Ethiopia, groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is the second most important lowland oilseed crops of warm climate next to sesame. However, the production of the crop is constrained by several biotic and abiotic factors of which lack of improved varieties is among the major constraints. Therefore, the national groundnut project coordinated by Haramaya University has been striving to develop varieties with high yield and oil contents. Therefore, 29 groundnut accessions and one standard check (Roba) were subjected to yield trials from 2011 to 2013 (years). After the yield trial at five locations (Werer, Miesso, Pawe, Asossa and Babile) for three years (2011-2013), the genotypes with the accession codes of ICGV-98412, ICGV-98404 and ICGV-94100 were identified and proposed as new varieties with the local names Babile-1, Babile-2 and Babile-3, respectively, to be cultivated in Ethiopia. The three genotypes were introduced from International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India. Babile-1 and Babile-2 out yielded the standard check variety Roba by 33 and 12%, respectively. The seed color of these varieties is red tan. Hundred seed weights of Baile-1 and Babile-2 were 78.07 and 79.5g, respectively, which were significantly higher by about 13.47 and 13.71%, respectively, than check variety Roba with 57.95g hundred seed weight. Babile-3 out yielded the standard check variety Roba by 26%. The three varieties were also found to be resistant to major diseases such as leaf spots and showed stability for yield over locations and seasons. Therefore, the three varieties, Babile-1, Babile-2 and Babile-3 were approved by the National Variety Releasing Committee of the country in 2016 to be cultivated in the lowland agroecolgy.