Registration of Tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) Variety "Lattuu" for the Highland Areas of Ethiopia

Fifteen tagasaste varieties including the standard check variety (MoA) were evaluated for forage dry matter yield, nutritional profiles, disease and insect pest reaction, and other agro-morphological characteristics at Holetta and Jeldu research sites during the main cropping seasons of 2008-2011. Based on the overall performance, three best performing varieties (CI-15052, CI-17497, and CI-15039) were selected and verified with the standard check at Holetta, and Kulumsa Agricultural Research Centers and Jeldu sub-site in 2017 cropping season. The overall mean result indicated that the released variety Lattuu (CI-15052) produced the highest edible yield (7.46 t/ha) while variety CI-15039 produced the lowest (3.60 t/ha) edible yield when compared with other varieties. On the other hand, the standard check variety (MoA) produced the highest (6.40 t/ha) inedible yield. The tagasaste varieties comprise edible (leaf and edible branch) and inedible (stem) plant parts; however, the share of the edible part (61%) of the released Lattuu variety was much higher than its inedible (39%) part of the plant. The total edible dry matter, crude protein, and digestible yields of the Lattuu variety were 7.46, 1.64, and 3.99 t/ha, respectively. Moreover, the released Lattuu variety had 24.63 and 10.33% CP yield and digestible yield advantages over the standard check variety, respectively. Generally, the released Lattuu variety had relatively better leaf to stem ratio, CP, and IVOMD advantages over the standard check variety. Therefore, the national variety releasing committee evaluated the varieties at field conditions in October 2017 and variety Lattuu (CI-15052) was officially released in April 2018 for the highland areas and similar agro-ecologies of the country. The pre-basic and basic seeds of the released Lattuu variety are maintained by the feeds and nutrition research section of Holetta Agricultural Research Center.