Low Land Ecosystem Rain Fed Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Variety Adaptation at Assosa, Western Ethiopia

Benishangul Gumuze is one of the most important potential rice producing areas in Ethiopia. Six improved lowland ecosystem rice varieties were evaluated with the objective of selecting adapted lowland ecosystem rice varieties for Assosa condition. The trial was conducted at Assosa Agricultural Research Center during 2017/18 and 2018/19 cropping season using Randomized Complete Block Design at low land ecosystem. The size of the plot was 1.5m x 5m with gap of 0.5m between plot and 1.5m between blocks. Data was collected from nine agronomic parameters such as days to 50% heading days to 85% physiological maturity, plant height, panicle length number of fertile tillers, number of non-fertile tiller, number of filled grain per panicle, number of unfilled grain per panicle, and grain yield (kg/ha) and ranged 93 to 110,148 to 157, 80 to 98, 19 to 21, 4.8 to 6.1, 0.43 to 0.78, 82 to109, 10 to 29, 2001.4 to 2908.6 respectively. The mean combined analysis of two years showed that some agronomic parameters were statically highly significant different (p<0.05) while other parameters showed non-significant different. The mean square of over the year revealed that the yield (kg/ha) was highly significant different and other agronomic parameters showed the same result which have high contribution in yield increment of rice production. Among six tested rice varieties, Edeget and Demoze scored the highest grain yield (2908.6 kg/ha) and (2496.8 kg/ha) respectively. Therefore, based on objectively measured agronomic traits Edeget and Demoze were best adapted to low land rain fed rice ecosystem of Assosa until superior varieties will be investigated