Crops Research Directorate

The goal of the Crops Research Directorate is to boost the productivity of various industrial, export, and food security crop varieties. Research has shown that there are two interdependent ways to increase productivity per unit area: first, by introducing high-yielding new varieties; second, by recommending optimal agronomic inputs and practices, such as fertilizers, seed rate, cropping system, etc., which can further increase the yield of improved varieties. Farmers can obtain improved varieties with improved yields and desirable consumer and industrial qualities in two ways: 1) by conducting adaptation research on varieties that have already been released elsewhere and selecting the best ones for a particular agro-ecology; 2) by developing new varieties using a variety of breeding techniques, such as hybridization and selection, depending on the crop types.

Crops under research

We research on a number of crops that are grown in Oromia's different agro-ecologies. The crops can be broadly classified as follows:

Cereals: Oromia produces a wide variety of economically important and cereal crops that play key role in food-security, such as finger millet, tef, maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, and rice.

Pulses: a wide variety of pulse crops can be grown in a range of climates, from highlands to lowland conditions. Pulses are a valuable source of protein, especially for smallholders who can’t afford access to animal products. The country produces a wide variety of pulse crops, including chickpeas, lentils, soy beans, common beans, and faba beans. Many crops among the pulses substantially contribute to the export earnings of the country.