Tropical and Subtropical Fruit

Tropical and subtropical fruits research was started by the then National Horticulture Research Station in Adama town in 1969 to introduce and adapt, and generate fruits technologies, knowledge and information. The research program at MARC has focused on high-priority fruits including avocado, banana, citrus (sweet orange, mandarin, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and pomelo), grapevine, mango, and papaya. Fruits with medium research priority include guava, passion fruit, ziziphus, and fig. Many introduced and locally collected germplasm of a list of fruit crops (cazamiroa, pomegranate, longan, litchi, rambutan, olive, noni, nuts) with low research priority are also maintained at MARC for future uses. The program has delivered 113 research findings and produced various publications (journals, manuals, research freports and proceedings). So far, six avocado, twelvie dessert banana, four cooking banana, three hermaphrodite papaya, four mango, two fig, and two ziziphus varieties were released and registered for production. Besides, two passion fruit, seven sweet orange, four mandarins, two lime, three lemon, four grapefruit and three tangor/tangelo scion varieties as well as four citrus, one mango and three avocado rootstocks have been recommended for use. Similarly, associated improved nursery and field management practices have been developed and promoted for major fruit production. Many fruit crop nurseries have been established across the country in collaboration with other stakeholders to meet the growing demands of various users. Annually, large number of banana plantlets or suckers, seedlings and seeds of papaya, grafted mango seedlings, grafted avocado seedlings and budded seedlings and rootstock seeds of citrus have been multiplied and distributed to users mainly as initial materials. Read More

Ethiopia has diverse agro-climatic zones, suitable land and huge water resources that make many parts of the country conducive for successful production of various crops. Fruit crops have been cultivated in Ethiopia for several decades. Among the major cultivated fruits, banana and papaya take the lion’s share in production. However, the origin of most fruit crops cultivated in the country is not well known, and most of them are low yielders and poor in quality. Fruit crops research in Ethiopia was started in 1967 at Melka Werer Research Center. Subsequently, the National Horticulture Research Center of the then Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) was established at Nazareth town in 1969 with the objective to coordinate horticultural research in Ethiopia. Ever since then, various research activities have been conducted on fruit crops with special emphasis given to economically more important tropical fruit crops in Ethiopia such as banana, papaya and passion fruit. To date, in collaboration with other research centers in the country, MARC has released eight dessert banana, four cooking banana and three papaya varieties. Besides, four dessert banana varieties are on pipeline for release in 2019 and two promising passion fruit varieties are recommended for growers. Over 200 introduced and locally collected germplasm of banana, papaya and passion fruit are also being maintained at MARC for future research and use. Concurrently, improved technologies on in vitro banana mass propagation protocol, and nursery and field management practices have been developed and made available for users. Initial planting materials of improved varieties have also been disseminated to growers and intermediate seedling multipliers are assisting in multiplication and distribution of planting materials all over the country. Read More

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