Registration of ‘Diga-2’ Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana sub.spp. coracana) Variety

Abstract

Background: Finger millet is an important staple food crop widely grown in Ethiopia. The national average yield is far below the potential yield of the crop. Limited availability of stable, high yielding and disease tolerant finger millet varieties is one of the major production constraints in the country.
Objective: The objective of this study was to identify stable high yielding and diseases tolerant genotypes for production.
Materials and Methods: twelve black seeded pipeline finger millet genotypes were evaluated under a regional variety trial at Bako and Gute research stations from 2014 to 2016 main cropping seasons including the standard (Degu) and local checks using randomized complete block design. Diga-2 variety is black seeded finger millet (Eleusine coracana sub.spp. coracana) with the pedigree of Acc. BKFM0010 has been collected from Beneshangul Gumuz Regional State by Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity.
Results: The results from Additive Main effect and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) and Eberhart and Russell regression stability models as well as Genotype and Genotype by Environment interaction (GGE) biplot analysis revealed that Diga-2 variety was relatively stable and high yielder (2.38 t ha-1) among the tested genotypes. The new variety, Diga-2 had a yield advantage of 33.7% over Degu, the standard check variety used for multi-environment evaluation.
Conclusion: Among the tested genotypes, Diga-2 finger millet variety was selected and released in 2018 for its high grain yield potential, stable and resistant against finger millet blast (Magnaporthe oryzea) disease which is the most important finger millet production constraints in Ethiopia in general and western Oromia in particular.