Barley has a long history of cultivation in Ethiopian highlands.
In Dandi and Jeldu districts, barley is the major
staple crop and it is deeply rooted in the socio-cultural
lifestyle of the communities. Over centuries, natural and
human selection resulted in a huge diversity of landraces.
This diversity, however, is subject to serious genetic erosion.
A survey was carried out to record the status of barley
landraces. In total, 14 landraces were described by
farmers. However, only four of them are still cultivated.
Environmental factors, e.g., degradation of soil fertility,
were main factors for the loss of diversity. Preservation of
landraces is influenced by their end-use, market demand
and price. Recently, some more input demanding landraces
which are usually grown around homesteads were replaced
by potato. Regeneration of soil fertility, re-introduction
of lost landraces and improvement of landraces are
suggested for the restoration of barley diversity in Dandi
and Jeldu districts.