Promotion of Improved Sorghum Technologies through Large-Scale Demonstration in Gololcha Woreda, Arsi Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The study was carried out to improve farmers’ awareness, enhance the adoption of full package sorghum production technologies. The large-scale demonstration was implemented at Gololcha woreda of Arsi zone for one year (2019/2020) using Melkam variety. The demonstration was implemented in three kebeles and a total of 100 hectares of land was covered by participating 117 household heads (farmers) out of which 12 of them were women-headed. In the demonstration farmers contributed a land size of 0.25 hectares (the minimum) and 2 hectares of land (maximum). Totally, from the demonstration 4030 quintals of sorghum were harvested with 42.3 quintals per hectare average productivity. The yield obtained by farmers practices was 18.23 q·ha-1 which is lower as compared to the average yield obtained by large scale demonstration. The technology gap (TG) was 15.70 q·ha-1 which indicated that technologies have not been adopted. Extension gap was 24.07 q·ha-1 and this result indicated that the extension approach should be more strengthened. It has been ascertained that “Melkam” variety is the best fitted variety and promotion of improved sorghum technologies via large scale demonstration has shown a considerable yield increment as compared to farmers practices. According to the farmers’ trait preference, Melkam variety was preferred by farmers because of its high yielding, consumption quality, early maturity, palatability, and drought-tolerant traits respectively. For sustainable production of improved sorghum technologies, the seed system should be taken into consideration to deliver the seed supply for the entire sorghum producers.