Abstract

Red colour seed common beans are more demanded over the white beans at Borecha district. However seed producers established in the district were not started red common bean seed production due to lack of awareness in improved red common bean varieties. Therefore, farmer’s participatory varieties evaluation and selection methods were applied to identify preferred common bean variety in Borecha district. Eight red common bean genotypes were planted in Randomized Complete Block Design as mother trial replicated on four villages of Borecha district to identify farmer’s selection criteria; to popularize the variety and to enhance seed produces capacity in managing varieties portfolios. Farmer’s preference related data was collected for eight red common bean traits. Common bean pre harvest traits such as earliness, seed per pod (>5 seed per pod), pod load, up right growth habit and height of basal pod from the soil are indentified as the best descriptors to accept and reject the varieties. Uniformity of red seed colour was identified as major decisive criteria for accepting and rejecting common bean variety after harvest. Hawassa dume and Dimtu were variety scored the best ranks for all criteria. Farmers selected and discarded the varieties at various stage of common bean growth with fairly high degree of precision.

Keywords: Common bean; Genotypes; Seed producers; Pre-harvest traits; Uniformity