This experiment was conducted from 2020 to 2023 in the semi‐arid lowlands of western Tigray, Ethiopia, to evaluate the adaptation, yield, and nutritional quality of six Clitoria genotypes under rain‐fed conditions. The experiment employed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with a factorial arrangement, considering Genotype (six levels) and Year (four levels) as factors. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model in R, with Genotype as a fixed effect and Year, the Genotype × Year interaction, and Replication (Year) as random effects, following verification of ANOVA assumptions. The results revealed that early phenological stages were significantly affected by the environmental variations across years; days to emergence and 50% flowering, along with survival rates, were significantly affected by the cropping year, with emergence also showing a genotype × year interaction. Conversely, the leaf‐to‐stem ratio and all nutritional quality parameters were significantly affected by genotype alone, with no significant year or interaction effects. Plant height and forage dry matter (DM) yield were significantly influenced by genotype, year, and their interaction. Similarly, days to maturity was governed by genotype and its interaction with the year. The numbers of branches and seed yield were affected by both genotype and year, but not by their interaction. These findings demonstrate that forage quality is a stable, genetically determined trait suitable for direct selection; yield‐related traits require selection for stability across variable environments. This study revealed significant genetic variability for key agronomic and nutritional traits in Clitoria ternatea . The genotype CT‐24734 was identified by its high forage productivity, superior nutritional value, and stable performance across years. All tested genotypes show potential to enhance ruminant diets by complementing low‐quality roughages. CT‐24734 is specifically recommended for seed multiplication and integration into smallholder livestock systems in the semi‐arid lowlands of western Tigray and similar agro‐ecologies. The findings identify moisture stress as a primary constraint on DM and seed yields. Future research should validate these results under irrigation and different soil types, assess multi‐cut management and regrowth potential, and evaluate animal performance on Clitoria‐based diets.
Markos et al. (Thu,) studied this question.