Pepper and Onion Yield Estimate Parameters as Affected by Seed Treatment Options: In the Selected Districts of Central Rift Valley; Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia

Pepper and onion yield estimate parameters were conducted during off-season of 2011 using irrigation both at on-station and at on-farm of Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center and its surrounding districts of Adami Tulu, Dugda and Bora district of central rift valley by participating important influential actors (farmers, NGOs, DAs, district agricultural officers, etc.) from the inception to evaluate different seed treatment options that can favor onion and pepper yield estimate parameters. Bombey red and Marekofana of high yielding, disease tolerant, early maturing, market and farmer preferred varieties were used for the research by collecting from Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center. Data on performance of yield estimate parameters were evaluated until it was transferred to permanent field. The on-station data analysis result indicated that except root length and greenness of onion and seedling thickness and greenness of pepper, majority of yield estimate parameters were statistically (P < 0.05) significant while root length, shoot length and shoot height of onion on-farm were statistically (P < 0.05) non-significant. For on-station onion, hot water treatment supplemented with dressing the seed with half recommendation rate of apron-star resulted in the highest yield estimate parameters for most of the variables collected. Although there was an absence of consistent for all traits under analysis, sowing seed without any treatment resulted to the lowest count or measurement. But seed treated with mancozeb as per the recommendation gave the highest score or count for pepper except that of leaf number and greenness in which hot water treatment alone resulted in highest count. Even though yield estimate parameters don’t totally reflect actual attainable yield at the end of harvesting, seedlings that were superior for those traits mostly reflect yield if different management options applied as per recommendation set for the crops.