ARARI NEWS

Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) released and registered 9 new crop varieties in 2025

Dr. Asmare Dejene, ARARI’s Director General, in a press conference with local medias, revealed that the Institute has released 7 new crop varieties and registered 2 pearl millet varieties in 2025. He further described that these two registered varieties have been registered in collaboration with ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). All the 7 released and 2 registered crop varieties have approved by National Variety Released Committee.

Three sorghum, two field pea, one teff and one lentil varieties released by Sirinka Agricultural Research Center and the two pearl millet varieties are registered by Sekota Dry land Agricultural Research Center.

Dr. Asmare further explained that the newly released teff variety named ‘Zati’ has a grain yield productivity of 25q/h, 20% yield advantage from its best competitor (Mena, 21q/h) , adaptive dry land areas and has long spike and white grain color.

Among the released sorghum varieties, ‘Sirinka 1’ variety has a grain yield productivity of 52 q/h, has 30% yield advantage from its best competitor (Melkam, 40q/h), early maturing in dry land areas and has white grain color. The other variety named ‘Ambassel’ yields 47q/h, has 29% yield advantage from its best competitor (Kalu, 36q/h), has light red grain color and recommended to be produced in Sirinka, Metema, Jari, Chefa and other similar agro-ecology. The third new sorghum variety, ‘Dagim’ yields 44q/h, has 20% yield advantage from its best competitor (Kalu, 36q/h) and its grain color is white.

The registered pearl millet varieties have a greater advantage for food security and nutrition in dry land areas like Waghemira and similar agro-ecologies. The pearl millet variety named ‘ICMV 167001’ yields 20.8q/h grain, is bio-fortified and has high zinc content (47.92 mg/kg of seed), has 36% yield advantage from its best competitor (Kola 1, 15q/h, zinc =30.44 mg/kg), white grain color and 80-90 maturity days. The other variety ‘’Chakti’’ yields 17q/h, has zinc content (38.27 mg/kg of seed); 36% yield and 26% zinc content advantage from its best competitor (Kola | , 15q/h, zinc =30.44 mg/kg). It has 60-75 maturity days and best for dry land areas which have inadequate rainfall.

The field pea variety named ‘’Serk’’ has a grain yield productivity of 28q/h and 27% of yield advantage from the local variety and it is best for Shiro, recommended for areas like Wereillu, Jamma, Meket, Adet and other similar agro-ecology. The other newly released variety ‘’Likie’’ yields 32q/h grain, has 25% of yield advantage from the local variety. It is best for ‘Kik’ or split beans and recommended to be produced in Wereillu, Jamma, Meket, Adet and other similar agro-ecology.

The Lentil variety named ‘’Yemisirach’’ has 19q/h grain yield and 57% yield advantage from the local variety and it is a great success to gain high grain yield of lentil in areas where farmers are dependent on low productive local varieties. This variety recommended to be produced in areas like Wereillu, Jamma, Legehida, Enewarie, Dawunt and other similar agro-ecologies.

Dr. Asmare underscored that newly released 9 crop varieties are being multiplied in this crop season and be demonstrated to farmers and other stakeholders in the coming seasons for wider adoption.

This collaboration is part of the Food Security and Agriculture Rehabilitation Measures in Conflict-Affected Regions of Ethiopia (FARM) project funded by Agence Française de Développement and implemented by the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI).
The MoU aims to:-

Strengthen seed and livestock sectors through applied research and improved production

Boost apiculture and poultry value chains

Promote sustainable, diversified, and agroecological farming practices

Enhance resilience and gender equity in agriculture

The Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) conducted a four-day training session from May 22 to May 26, 2017, for agricultural extension researchers from various research centers and the headquarters with budget support from the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP).
The training focused on qualitative research methods and covered a range of topics, including:
Social Network Analysis (SNA): Led by Dr. Habtemariam Assefa, a researcher in extension at the Andassa Livestock Research Center, this session introduced key concepts of SNA, its importance and applications in extension research, establishing relation interests, collecting, organizing and analyzing relational data, and the possible unit of analysis in Social Network Analysis.

Qualitative Research Approach: Presented by Dr. Million Gebreyes, this session discussed the philosophical foundations of qualitative research, hermeneutic philosophical orientations, and the philosophical underpinnings of social theories. It also covered qualitative data collection methods and the fundamentals of qualitative data analysis.

Ethnographic Decision Modeling: Dr. Dagninet Amare from the Adet Agricultural Research Center led this session on one of the key qualitative methods. His presentation included an introduction to ethnography, theoretical foundations of ethnographic decision modeling, its relevance to agricultural research, differences between ethnographic models and other research models, designing and executing ethnographic decision modeling projects.

Discourse Analysis: Dr. Lijalem Abebaw, a researcher from the Andassa Livestock Research Center, focused on qualitative research with an emphasis on discourse analysis. Topics included different types of discourses, definitions and significance of discourse analysis, central questions explored by discourse analysts, key concepts and sub-methods in discourse analysis and methodological approaches in agricultural extension research.
The theoretical sessions were complemented by hands-on practical exercises. Trainees gained familiarity with qualitative data analysis techniques using various tools and software, including Gephi, R, and MAXQDA.

In the concluding session, it was emphasized that trainees often disperse after completing their training. To ensure that the knowledge gained is effectively translated into practice, however, it was deemed essential to either initiate new research projects or integrate the training content into ongoing research activities. This approach ensures that the knowledge acquired is applied effectively and contributes to strengthening the extension system. Additionally, it was agreed that training coordinators and trainers would hold weekly virtual meetings to exchange ideas, discuss progress, and collaboratively develop implementation strategies to share with the trainees.

Photographer: Tadese Misganaw

Amhara Agricultural Research Institute(ARARI) is conducting its annual completed agricultural research activities forum in Bahirdar city as of today May 26, 2025.

In the opening session,  Dr. Asimare Dejen, Director General of ARARI said that the completed research review forum is a testimony to our collective pledge to generate and innovate technologies in the region and beyond.

He reiterated that the aim of the gathering is not only to present the research results of months, and in many cases, years of demanding scientific research, but also to reflect, to discuss, and to foresee the pathways through which our findings can be translated into impactful, sustainable agricultural practices, which will boom production and productivities at farmers' condition and beyond.

Dr. Asimare emphasized that Agricultural research results must go beyond the laboratory or field plots. It must speak to the needs of farmers, contribute to food security, substitute imported agricultural products, satisfy local industry raw material demands, support environmental sustainability, and enhance livelihoods.

At ARARI, we take great pride in our researchers' dedication, the integrity of their work, and the relevance of the studies conducted. The completed research results we will hear for the next four days cover a wide range of disciplines from crop improvement (agronomy, protection are included) and soil and water management, to livestock development, and climate-smart agriculture, socioeconomics and extension last but not least is on seed research the Director General stated.

Dr. Asimare elaborated the research achievements which have been done in the last 15 years and ways forwarded to bring impactful results on the livelihood of farmers.

He stated that in the last 15 years, the Institute had conducted more than 7345 research proposals, of which 6593 (89.8%) proposals were executed. It is unfortunate that for many reasons the number of research proposals and technology generation has big gaps. In the same way, in the past 15 years, from the total technology generation planned, we achieved about 1085 generated technologies, he said. But, Dr. Asimare questioned how many of these technologies reach to the users, extensions, farmers, investors, exporters, etc.

So, Dr. Asimare encouraged the participants of the forum to  engage actively, to rigorously discuss and to think creatively about how these research outputs will have meaningful impact and fill-up the existing demands of farmers, extensions and other technology users to be scaled up and translated into significant development.

Finally he expressed his  gratitude to the researchers who are sharing their findings in the forum, to the Institute's partners and funders who continue to support this work, and to everyone who played a role in organizing the forum.

The completed research review forum will go on for 4 days from May 26 - 29/2015 and is expected to bring meaningful outcomes.

Dr. Semagn Asiredie Kolech who has been serving as Director of Technology Multiplication and Seed Research at Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) appointed as Deputy Director General of ARARI by His Excellency Ato Arega Kebede, President of Amhara National Regional State.

We the ARARI Staff Members congratulate Dr. Semagn for your appointment and wish you a successful career at the new position.

Workshop on scaling up of acid soil management and demonstration of the newly released acid tolerant Sekela wheat variety in western Amhara region.



Adet Agricultural Research Center, one of the key research centers under Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), held a workshop on scaling up of acid soil management and demonstration of newly released acid tolerant bread wheat variety called Sekela and other research findings released so far to alleviate the problem.


In his opening speech, Dr. Asmare Dejen, the Director General of ARARI, emphasized the urgency of addressing soil acidity which threatens the agricultural productivity in the acid affected areas of the region, particularly the then Gojam area, western Amhara. He called for an immediate and joint action from all stakeholders to implement research based solutions to combat this serious production bottleneck.


In addition, Mr. Atakiltie Abebe, Director of Adet Agricultural Research Center, announced that the center has played key role in mitigating soil acidity since a decade and half and recommended different mitigation measures including the newly released acid tolerant Sekela bread wheat variety. The Center Director underlined that the aim of the workshop was to jointly plan the scale up of this variety with zonal and district agricultural experts.




Moreover, Dr. Tadele Amare, Lead Soil fertility Researcher at Adet Agricultural Research Center, highlighted that 36.6% of the region’s arable land is affected by acidity at different levels.  



Furthermore, Dr. Tadele stated that, through the research efforts carried out so far, several key recommendations and technologies have been developed. These include row lime application, the development of acid-tolerant crop varieties, evaluation of the effects of agroforestry practices, applying compost and lime to faba bean, identification of fast-growing using green manuring plants, and combined application for phosphorus fertilizer and lime. He emphasized that translating these research outputs into practical solutions requires strong commitment and collaboration from all stakeholders at various levels.


Mr. Asmamaw Demil, Agricultural Research Extension Researcher at Adet Research Center, shared progress on technology promotion and training efforts across districts in Awi, Gojam, and South Gondar Zones.


The workshop concluded with the development of a joint action plan to expand the use of Sekela wheat variety in the upcoming production season.



Participants underscored the need for swift support from regional, national, and international partners to curb the spread of soil acidity and ensure sustainable agricultural development.

Gondar Agricultural Research Center (GARC), under the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), recently organized a comprehensive capacity-building training program aimed at enhancing the competencies of its research staff. This initiative was structured into two major components, each tailored to meet the unique needs of researchers at different career stages and to align with the center’s vision of fostering impactful research and securing collaborative funding opportunities. The first component of the training focused on Grant Proposal Writing for Collaborative Projects, targeting senior researchers.
The purpose of this training was to equip researchers with the necessary skills to identify, prepare, and secure international research grants through collaborative initiatives. The training was delivered (April 6 -7, 2025) by Dr. Sintayehu Yigrem, Associate Professor at Hawassa University and a seasoned Principal Investigator (PI) of multiple grant-funded projects. Dr. Sintayehu delivered a well-structured and highly appreciated two-day write-shop that provided practical insights into the grant-writing process, approaches to developing competitive proposals, and strategies to engage with international funding agencies. In the training over #35 participants were involved, including researchers and academia’s from the University of Gondar, emphasizing the collaborative spirit and broader institutional engagement encouraged by GARC. The training was officially inaugurated by Dr. Tewodros Tesfaye, Center Director, who opened and emphasized the critical role of such initiatives in enhancing the research center’s capacity to attract external funding and deliver trans-formative research outcomes.
The second component of the training program was titled Research Methodology and was specifically designed for junior and mid-level research staffs. This session was led by Mr. Yonas Worku, a PhD candidate and senior researcher at GARC, with a strong background in applied research design and implementation. This training aimed to build foundational and advanced methodological skills among young researchers, focusing on designing scientifically sound, practical, and impactful research activities. In his closing remarks, Dr. Tewodros Tesfaye, emphasized that while training programs like these provides important knowledge and skill sets, they are only the beginning of a long-term journey toward research excellence. As the training was financed and supported by the #FSRP project, Dr. Tewodros expressed his appreciation for the project's contribution. He also encouraged all participants to continue learning through reading, peer collaboration, and active engagement in various learning platforms.
Overall, the recent capacity development activities at GARC reflect a strong institutional commitment to nurturing research excellence and empowering research staff to meet emerging scientific challenges. These efforts are particularly vital in enhancing the center’s ability to engage in collaborative research, attract external grants, and contribute to sustainable development and improved livelihoods in the region. Moving forward, #GARC and #ARARI are encouraged to further expand and institutionalize such #capacity-building initiatives to ensure long-term sustainability, institutional growth, and impactful research at both national and international levels.
picture :-Gondar Agricultural Research Center

The annual meeting conference for the Blue Nile Journal of Agricultural Research (BNJAR) Advisory Board took place on Monday, April 14, 2025, at the venue of Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI). Dr. Hailu Kendie, Editor-in-chief of BNJAR, presented the annual report that elaborates on activities that have been done so far to improve the quality and acceptance of the journal. The gathering served as a pivotal moment for all involved members to convene, deliberate, and strategize on the future directions and initiatives of the journal, fostering an atmosphere of collaboration and innovation within the agricultural research community.
The Editor-in-Chief, known for his expertise and dedication in the field, led the reports with a profound sense of purpose, encapsulating the essence of BNJAR's commitment to advancing agricultural knowledge and practices. Overall, the event exemplified the journal's unwavering dedication to excellence and its role as a premier platform for disseminating cutting-edge research and insights that contribute to the sustainable growth and development of agricultural practices in Ethiopia and beyond.
The Journal Advisory Board achieved important milestones through a series of critical decisions that were vital in attracting the attention of the scientific community. As a result of these decisions, researchers were encouraged to actively participate and submit their papers for publication in the journal. The Board's strategic initiatives effectively positioned the journal as a favorable and respected platform for scholars to communicate their findings and contribute to the academic discourse. This proactive approach not only facilitated increased engagement from the research community but also enhanced the journal's reputation as a reputable publication outlet.
BNJAR stands as a reputable, peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal dedicated to disseminating top-tier research in the field of agricultural sciences. As a publication overseen by ARARI since its inception in 2019, the journal serves as an invaluable platform for researchers, scholars, and practitioners looking to share their insights and discoveries within the realm of agriculture. Through a lens focusing on sustainability, innovation, and collaboration, BNJAR endeavors to push the boundaries of agricultural knowledge and provide solutions to pertinent challenges faced not only in Ethiopia but globally.
The journal's broad range of content, comprising full-length research articles, review pieces, and informative short communications, tackles diverse subjects including crop science, soil science, animal science, agricultural economics, and beyond. With issues published biannually in both print and online mediums, the team is diligently working towards releasing volume 6, issue 1 by July 2025, promising a wealth of impactful research contributions for readers and the agricultural community as a whole.

Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) acknowledged Dr. Charles Higgins and renamed its biotechnology laboratory in the name of him.
Dr. Charles Higgins is a long-time ally and heartily partner of ARARI who has contributed a lot for the establishment and advancement of the institute's biotechnology laboratory. Dr. Higgins is also a dedicated collaborator and supporter of ARARI’s potato research program.
Dr. Higgins is an American agronomist, plant breeder, farmer, writer, philanthropist, mentor, potato ambassador and leader who runs his own farm and he is a man who has a great affection for Ethiopia.
He has become so well-known through the potato industry, is usually enough to establish Higgins as the person being referenced. To improve the livelihood of potato growing farmers in Ethiopia, Dr. Higgins started the project, "Ethiopian Sustainable Food Project', in 2007 and has been supporting ARARI a lot through the project.
Dr Higgins supported ARARI in strengthening its tissue culture lab facility and establishment of several screen houses for high-quality mini-tuber production. He has played a great role in the establishment of ARARI's Molecular laboratory station in Bahir Dar. Since purchasing and transporting of laboratory equipment and chemicals from the international market demands high capital and has a lot of challenges, Dr. Higgins simplified all these challenges of ARARI by purchasing and transporting of tissue culture and Molecular laboratory equipment and chemicals covering all the costs.
His support in potato utilization (mainly for solar drying construction and promotion) is also encouraging and ARARI has benefited in these area.
Beyond supporting potato research and multiplication activities, Dr. Higgins supported food oat breeding and seed production activities for the three varieties released so far.
He, together with his wife, Judy and friends frequently travels to Ethiopia every year and advice Ethiopian potato researchers and the ARARI management for providing disease free potato planting material to farmers.
He is leading the fund raising and planning of the Ethiopian Sustainable Food Project. In general, his contribution is immense in achieving access to improved potato seed to Ethiopian farmers.
Through the Ethiopian Sustainable Food Project, Dr Higgins is supporting plantlet production using potato Tissue Lab and mini-tuber production using the available 13 screen houses of the institute; potato seed distribution and promotion to farmers using demonstration, community based seed production and pre-scaling up approaches; on-farm seed potato storage, solar dehydration of potato and vegetables, nutrition research and information dissemination; potato bread and potato utilization promotion and oat research, breeder seed production and promotion.
Due to these and other top contribution of Dr. Charles Higgins, the ARARI management decided to acknowledge Dr Higgins and thus the institute is proud to announce the renaming of ARARI Tissue Culture Lab to the "Dr Higgins Biotechnology Laboratory" in honour of Dr. Higgins contributions to improve the livelihoods of Ethiopian Potato farmers.
During the renaming ceremony, Dr. Higgins representative and board member of Ethiopian Sustainable Food Project, Professor Walter De Jong has attended and welcomed ARARI's decision.
Dr. Asimare Dejen, Director General of ARARI elaborated Dr. Higgins's contribution in the agricultural sector and appreciated his dedication, commitment, and heartfelt support for ARARI and his affection for Ethiopia.

The development of a Decision Support Tool (DST) for fertilizer recommendations tailored to Ethiopia's farming system is crucial for boosting agricultural productivity and advancing the country toward precision agriculture. In pursuit of this objective, the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), regional research institutes, and international collaborators have been engaged in ongoing research to create a machine learning-based DST model. This tool is designed to provide farmers with accurate, data-driven fertilizer recommendations, specifically tailored to individual farms or plots of arable land.
Dr. Birhanu Agumas, Senior Researcher at the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) and a member of the national research team’s technical committee working on the model-based DST, outlined the research process and its goals. He emphasized that, over the past three years, extensive research has been conducted to modernize fertilizer recommendations nationwide. The results are currently undergoing review at both national and regional levels.
Dr. Birhanu explained that the DST is based on machine learning algorithms, which utilize legacy data spanning several years, along with data from nutrient omission experiments and other fertilizer rate trials conducted over the past three or more years. The DST integrates crop response data from field experiments, as well as climate, soil, and topographic data, which serve as key variables. He further emphasized that the model was developed using comprehensive data representing Ethiopia’s major crop-growing areas, ensuring that it is relevant across diverse agricultural zones in the country.
Recalling the origins of the DST development process, Dr. Birhanu noted that international research institutions such as Alliance Bioversity International – CIAT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) had previously developed their own fertilizer recommendation models. However, these models were not adopted by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture, EIAR, or regional research institutions. Dr. Birhanu explained that introducing multiple models would cause confusion among smallholder farmers, who need clear and unified guidance. As a result, the various institutions decided to collaborate on creating a single, harmonized DST that aligns with Ethiopia’s soil and climate conditions and meets the specific needs of local farmers.
In response, a collaborative team of researchers, data scientists, and modellers from national, regional, and international institutions came together to design the machine learning-driven DST. After extensive discussions, analysis, and data integration, the harmonized DST has been successfully developed and is now being tested on farmers' fields across the country.
ARARI, as a key regional research institute, has played a significant role in executing field experiments, conducting data analysis, and contributing to the development of the DST through its research centers in Adet, Sirinka, Gonder, Sekota, and Debirbirhan. These centers provided valuable data that fed into the model's development, strengthening its applicability and accuracy.
Dr. Birhanu concluded that the DST is currently undergoing rigorous validation on farmers’ fields throughout Ethiopia. After completing this validation and piloting phase, the tool will be officially rolled out. It will then serve as an essential resource for farmers, policymakers, agricultural experts, and researchers, providing them with reliable, data-driven recommendations on fertilizer use. This will ultimately enhance agricultural productivity and support sustainable farming practices across Ethiopia.

በአማራ ክልል የአፈር አሲዳማነት መባባስ የተለያዩ ሰብልን ከምርት ውጭ እያደረገ በመሆኑን የአማራ ግብርና ምርምር ኢንስቴትዩት የችግሩን አሳሳቢነት በመረዳት መንግስታዊ እና መንግስታዊ ያልሆኑ ድርጅቶች በመቀናጀት መስራት እንደሚገባ አሳሰበ።

የአለም አቀፍ ድንች ምርምር ማዕከል (international potato center) በዋነኛነት በድንች እና  በስኳር ድንች ምርምር እና ልማት ላይ  በሀገሪቱ ላለፉት ሶስት አስር አመታት ሲሰራ እንደ ቆየ ይታወቃል  ይህ ተቋም በሀገራዊ ምርምር ስርአት ውስጥ የተለያዩ የድንች ዝርያዎችን የማውጣት ሂደት ላይ ጀርምፕላዝም(Germplasm) እና የገንዘብ ድጋፍ በመስጠት ግብርናውን ሲያግዝ ቆይቷል።

  ምርምር ማዕከሉ ከአጋር አካላት ጋር በመሆን ለሚቀጥሉት አመታት በብርቱኳናማው ስኳር ድንች ላይ በክልሉ ለማሰፋት ከክልል፣ከዞን እና ከወረዳ ለመጡ የግብርና ሙያተኞች በተግባር የተደገፈ የአሰልጣኞች ስልጠና ለሁለት ተከታታይ ቀናት በ/ባህርዳር ከተማ ተሰጧል። የስልጠናው ይዘትም የስኮር ድንች ዘር አመራረትና አያያዝ፣ ድህረ ምረት አያያዝ የበሸታና ተባይ ልየታና እንክብካቤ ፣ የእሴት ሰንሰለት ዙሪያን ያካተተ ነው።ብርቱካናማ ስኳር ድንች ላይ ቱክረት አድርጎ የሚሰራበት ዋነኛ ምክንያት  ከእናቶች እና ህፃናት የመግብ ስርአት ጋር ተያይዞ  ሰብሉ ብዙ ንጥረ ነገር የያዘ እና በተለይም በቫይታሚን A የበለፀገ በመሆኑ ፣ድርቅን መቋቋም በመቻሉ  ፣ አርሶ አደሩ በቀላሉ በጓሮው ሊያመርተው ስለሚችል እና ብዙ ጉልበትና ግብአት ስለማይፈልግ መሆኑ ተገልጿል።

በአለም አቀፍ ድንች ምርምር ማዕከል አግሮኖሚስት የሆኑት አቶ አብዮት አራጋው እንደገለፁት ፕሮጀክቱ ከአሁን ቀደም በአማራ ክልል ሲሰራ እንደቆየ  አስታውሰው አሆን ደግሞ በጥናት ተተንትኖ ልንሰራ እንድንችል በኢትዮጽያ ጤና ጥበቃ ሚኒስትር  ከአፍሪካ ዲቨሎፕመንት ባንክ (Africa Development Bank) በተገኘው የገንዘብ ድጋፍ በተመረጡ ቦታዎች እንዲሁም  ችግሩ ባለበት እና ለብርቱካናማው ስኳር ድንች ተስማሚ ስነ-ምህዳር ባላቸው አከባቢዎች በመለየት ከአማራ ግብርና ምርምር ኢንስቲትዩት እና ከክልሉ ግብርና ቢሮ ጋር በመሆን ይሰራል። ስለሆነም የዛሬው ስልጠናም የዚሁ አካል በመሆኑ ከክልል ግብርና፣ ከዞንና ከወረዳ ለመጡ ጉዳዩ ለሚመለከታቸው ባለሙያዎች የአሰልጣኞች ስልጠና ተሰጧል ብለዋል።