Assess Farmer’s Skills on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum (L.) Seed Qualities and its Components in East showa Zone, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, chickpea is an important grain legume next to faba bean and common bean both in terms of area coverage and production. It is mainly grown as a source of food protein, income generation, and soil fertility restoration and used for animal feed. Quality seed production and associated technologies could be mentioned among the major challenges that limit chickpea production and productivity in Ethiopia. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the experiences and perception of farmers regarding chickpea seed quality. Two representative districts (Ada and Lume) were systematically selected from the major chickpea growing area. 84 seed producers were randomly selected from the districts and interviewed to gather information on perception and experience of chickpea seed production systems. The survey result indicated high adoption rate for improved chickpea varieties in the study areas. Arerti and Habru were among the dominant and widely grown chickpea varieties in the districts. Half of the farmers in the study area experienced that seed quality test are mandatory process in the seed production systems.In the study area, disease is as a major challenge for chickpea seed production so; the seed regulatory unit should consider future work associated to seed health