Abstract

This study was conducted during the cropping season of 2010 at Degem wereda. The objectives were to assess the extent of genetic erosion of barley and justify reasons for its conservation at community and household levels. Formal and informal surveys were made aimed at assessing causes for genetic erosion and quantify the level of genetic erosion. Collected data were subjected to descriptive statistics; Chi-square test and relative regression analysis and analyzed with SPSS software version 15. Accordingly, 17 farmers’ variety (FV’s) were grown before 1994 and during 2010 only 5 FV’s (35%) were grown. The estimated loss accounts for 65%. The major causes for genetic erosion were introduction of improved varieties, replacement of other crops, weather variability, and change in land use pattern and lack of policy support (76, 14, 14, 8, 13 and 90%, respectively). Moreover, socio-economic factors affected genetic erosion and statistically and highly significant at p<0.001 for Chi-square and at p<0.05 for regression analysis. Wealth of traditional sayings, poems and songs gave a picture of the importance of barley in society’s daily life. Therefore, attention should be given to conservation of farmers’ varieties. Involving farmers’ participation is very important in order to use their indigenous knowledge for conservation of FVs’, varieties end-use and share their socio-cultural preferences. On farm conservation strategies should be practiced for FVs’ sustainable use and attain food security.

Key words: Genetic erosion, barley, conservation, varieties.