ANALYSIS OF ON-FARM DIVERSITY AND GENETIC EROSION IN BARELY (Hordeum VulgareL) LANDRACES FROMDIKSIS AND LODE HETOSA DISTRICTS,ARSI ZONE, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

The term genetic erosion was not exactly clear when it was first coined. The loss of genetic diversity, in a particular location and over a particular period of time, including the loss of individual genes, and the loss of particular combinations of genes, such as those manifested in landraces or varieties are referred as genetic erosion. Barley is one of the cereal founder crops, domesticated about 10,000 year ago in the Fertile Crescent and it is one of the eight founder crops of old world agriculture. In Ethiopia, barley is a main staple crop and human consumption in the limelight. In Arsi Zone, where barley varieties are potentially cultivated, the causes and effects of genetic erosion is poorly understood. Thus, the objectiveof this study was to assess the extent of genetic erosion in barley landraces and justify reasons for its erosion at community and household levels in Diksis and Lode Hetosa districts, Arsi Zone. This research included cross-sectional survey based type, focused on the selected districts. Close and open-ended questions were prepared and distributed to 216 selected households to get information about extent, status and determinant of on-farm diversity and genetic erosion of barley landraces from March to June, 2018. Among a total of two hundred sixteen (216) sample size more than 40 years old, twelve (12)HHs were non respondentwhile two hundred four (204) HHs were interviewed.Genetic erosion was estimated for both districts systematically by exploring 14 barley landraces cultivated for 2 to 3 decades compared with the present situation and 8(57.14%) were eroded while 6(42.86%)barley varieties were still produced.The bivariate association indicated that barley genetic erosion status was strongly associated with respondents’ age, proportion of farmland size covered by barley, topography, Use of improved barley varieties, Dominant barley varieties, person who select seed and factors that decline the production of barley land races in were significant predictors of barley genetic erosion at 0.05 p-values.Thus, farmers, policy makers and researchers should give attention to conservation and indigenous knowledge of farmers for better use of genetic resources.
 3