79
© The Author(s) 2019
T. S. Rosenstock et al. (eds.), The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5_7
Chapter 7
Fast-Tracking the Development
and Dissemination of a Drought-Tolerant
Maize Variety in Ethiopia in Response
to the Risks of Climate Change
Berhanu T. Ertiro, Girum Azmach, Tolera Keno, Temesgen Chibsa,
Beyene Abebe, Girma Demissie, Dagne Wegary, Legesse Wolde,
Adefris Teklewold, and Mosisa Worku
7.1 Introduction
In Ethiopia, annual maize production is 7.8 million tonnes with an average yield of
3.6 tonnes per hectare (t ha
−1
) in 2016—the highest of any cereal in the country
(Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)
2017). Currently, 66% of cereal-farming households in Ethiopia cultivate maize on
2.1 million hectares (ha), making it the second most widely cultivated cereal in the
country after teff. It is estimated that each household owns around 1 ha of crop land,
of which at least half is allocated for maize cultivation in major maize-growing
areas. Subsistence maize farming accounts for more than 95% of the total maize
area and production, with 75% of all maize produced being consumed by the farming household (Abate et al. 2017).
Ethiopia started growing hybrid maize relatively late, even by African standards
(Harrison 1970, Tolessa et al. 1993). Early maize research in Ethiopia focused on
the identification of locally adapted open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) to replace low
yielding, tall and lodging susceptible landraces. The national hybrid maize breeding
programme in Ethiopia was launched in the early 1980s, targeting four major maize
growing agro-ecologies: mid-altitude sub-humid, highland sub-humid, lowmoisture stress, and lowland sub-humid maize agro-ecologies. A top-cross hybrid
variety, BH140, was released for the mid-altitude sub-humid agro-ecology in 1988
(Tolessa et al. 1993). A late maturing three-way cross hybrid, BH660, adapted to the
mid-altitude moist and transitional highland maize agro-ecologies was released in
B. T. Ertiro (*) · G. Azmach · T. Keno · T. Chibsa · B. Abebe · G. Demissie · L. Wolde
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
D. Wegary · A. Teklewold
Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
M. Worku
CIMMYT, Nairobi, Kenya
© The Author(s) 2019
T. S. Rosenstock et al. (eds.), The Climate-Smart Agriculture Papers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92798-5_7
Chapter 7
Fast-Tracking the Development
and Dissemination of a Drought-Tolerant
Maize Variety in Ethiopia in Response
to the Risks of Climate Change
Berhanu T. Ertiro, Girum Azmach, Tolera Keno, Temesgen Chibsa,
Beyene Abebe, Girma Demissie, Dagne Wegary, Legesse Wolde,
Adefris Teklewold, and Mosisa Worku
7.1 Introduction
In Ethiopia, annual maize production is 7.8 million tonnes with an average yield of
3.6 tonnes per hectare (t ha
−1
) in 2016—the highest of any cereal in the country
(Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT)
2017). Currently, 66% of cereal-farming households in Ethiopia cultivate maize on
2.1 million hectares (ha), making it the second most widely cultivated cereal in the
country after teff. It is estimated that each household owns around 1 ha of crop land,
of which at least half is allocated for maize cultivation in major maize-growing
areas. Subsistence maize farming accounts for more than 95% of the total maize
area and production, with 75% of all maize produced being consumed by the farming household (Abate et al. 2017).
Ethiopia started growing hybrid maize relatively late, even by African standards
(Harrison 1970, Tolessa et al. 1993). Early maize research in Ethiopia focused on
the identification of locally adapted open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) to replace low
yielding, tall and lodging susceptible landraces. The national hybrid maize breeding
programme in Ethiopia was launched in the early 1980s, targeting four major maize
growing agro-ecologies: mid-altitude sub-humid, highland sub-humid, lowmoisture stress, and lowland sub-humid maize agro-ecologies. A top-cross hybrid
variety, BH140, was released for the mid-altitude sub-humid agro-ecology in 1988
(Tolessa et al. 1993). A late maturing three-way cross hybrid, BH660, adapted to the
mid-altitude moist and transitional highland maize agro-ecologies was released in
B. T. Ertiro (*) · G. Azmach · T. Keno · T. Chibsa · B. Abebe · G. Demissie · L. Wolde
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
D. Wegary · A. Teklewold
Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
M. Worku
CIMMYT, Nairobi, Kenya