Pre-extension demonstration of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties under the sedeni irrigation scheme in Habru district, North Wollo

Sweet potato is an important food security crop in Ethiopia, valued by farmers for its versatility, high caloric content, good taste, and relatively high levels of macro- and micro-nutrients, including β-carotene; therefore, pre-extension demonstration of improved, disease-resistant, and high-yielding varieties of sweet potato is essential to enhance farmers’ productivity and income. Accordingly, this study aimed to demonstrate previously verified and improved sweet potato varieties in the selected Habru districts of the Sedeni irrigation scheme in the North Wollo Zone, where the varieties were evaluated on six farmers’ fields to promote improved varieties and recommended production techniques for farmers and extension workers. The participant farmers were purposively selected based on land accessibility and willingness to participate in and conduct the experiment. The agronomic data, farmers’ perceptions, and feedback from other stakeholders were collected and analyzed using a Statistical analysis of t-test was done via Gen Stat version 17, besides descriptive statistics and the Relative Importance Index. The on-farm demonstration results revealed that the Birtukanie variety was a high-yielding variety and more preferred by farmers compared with the Jari variety. Although most yield-related traits, including total root yield, were not statistically significant, the maximum root yield was obtained from Birtukanie (33.56 t ha -1 ) compared with Jari (31.23 t ha -1 ), while root number per plant showed a significant difference between the two varieties. Consequently, based on the weighted farmers’ preference ranking, the Birtukanie variety was recommended for scaling up to enhance adoption and create further demand.