Abstract            Volume:14  Issue-6  Year-2026         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is a premier spice and strategic cash crop in Ethiopia, yet the adoption of improved varieties remains critically low in the southwestern highlands. This study was conducted in the Buno Bedele Zone across three representative districts to evaluate the adaptability and yield performance of improved black cumin varieties. Six improved varieties (Darbera, Soressa, Qanani, Kena, Urgessa, and Gemechis) along with a local check were evaluated using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed highly significant (P < 0.01) differences among the varieties for most traits, including days to flowering, days to maturity, number of capsules per plant, number of branches, and seed yield. However, plant height showed non-significant (P > 0.05) variation. The highest seed yield was achieved by the variety Urgessa (1.03 t ha⁻¹), followed by Darbera (0.88 t ha⁻¹), while the local check exhibited the lowest yield (0.47 t ha⁻¹). The superior performance of Urgessa and Darbera indicates their high genetic potential and robust adaptability to the high-rainfall conditions of the study area. Therefore, Urgessa and Darbera are recommended for large-scale production and scaling up in the Buno Bedele Zone and similar agro-ecologies to enhance smallholder productivity.

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