Evaluation of Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties for Moisture Stress Areas in Humbo District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Maize is a priority crop to farmers because it is a staple food in many rural communities of the southern region. It is widely grown in the various parts of the southern region, from lowland to mid-highlands. On the other hand, moisture stress is one of the most critical production constraints of maize in low to intermediate agroecology. Thus, developing maize varieties tolerant to moisture is of paramount importance to sustain maize production in moisture areas. In this context, field experiments were conducted during 201617 croppings at Kindo Koyisha and Humbo to select adaptable maize varieties for moisture stress areas with reasonable grain yield. Treatments used in this study were eight maize varieties (BH546, BH547, Gibe II, MH130, Melkasa IV, MH140, Melkasa II, and Melkasa 6Q) and three local cultivars (Local red, Local mixed, and Local white) of the total of eleven maize genotypes were evaluated at two moisture-prone areas in southern Ethiopia. Treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Maize varieties exhibited different performances at two tested locations. The varieties had the relatively superior performance of Kindo Koyisha as compared to Humbo. The Humbo varieties MH140, MH130, BH546, and Melkasa IV, have yielded relatively higher grain than the rest of the areas. At the same time, the Kindo Koyisha maize varieties expressed relatively better performance concerning grain yield. It has been recorded that the varieties with superior performance with sounding grain yield were BH546, MH140, BH547, and MH130 in these locations. Based on this result, BH546, MH140, and MH130 could be used at both locations. Moreover, BH547 at Bale and Melkasa IV at Humbo also be used in respective locations for production.