Abergelle Research Center


1. Background

Abergelle Agricultural Research Center (AbARC), established in 1995 E.C. (2002 G.C.), is one of the research centers under Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI). The mandate areas are the lowland (kolla) part of Seharti and Samre districts from the south-eastern zone, and Tanqua Mlash, Abergelle Yechila, Kolla Tembien, and Keyh Tekli districts from the central zone of Tigray. The center has five core processes: crop and horticulture research, small ruminant and fish research, natural resources management research, agricultural extension and socio-economic research, and support staff. The center is conducting various demand- and problem-based research activities on livestock, crops, natural resources, socio-economics, and extension. Moreover, the center is regionally mandated to lead and collaborate on the research conducted on small ruminants and fish.

2. Research capacity

Human capacity: The center has a total of 27 researchers (2 PhDs, 3 PhD candidates, 15 MScs, and 7 MScs), 25 support staff, and 14 data collectors.

Physical capacity: There is one experimental farm for small-ruminant at Abergelle Yechila district, four community-based goat breeding programs, two experimental and seed multiplication sites. The center owns a totaling of 29.5 ha being used for research activities on crops, forages, and natural resources, as well as technology multiplication. it has also about 0.5 ha of land which is serving as experimental site for research activies on fish. There is access for all weather road which crosses all the districts under the mandate of the center.

3. Major Research thematic areas

  • Small ruminant breeding research
  • Feed resources and feeding systems research
  • Animal health improvement research
  • Fish production and productivity improvements research
  • Crop production and productivity improvement research
  • Horticulture production and productivity improvement research
  • Forestry and agroforestry research
  • Irrigation and drainage systems research
  • Soil and water conservation research
  • Socio-economic and agricultural extension research

4. Brief research achievements so far 

The center has carried out different research programs and activities on small-ruminant, feed resources and feeding system, animal health, fish, crop (anual crops and horticulture), forestry and agro-forestry, irrigation and drainage, soil and water management, as well as soxcio-economics and extension research. Some of the achievements are breifly presented as follows.

Small ruminant breeding

  • Phonotypical characterization of indigenous sheep and Abergelle goat breeds
  • Reproductive performance of Abergelle goats and growth rate of their crosses with Boer goats
  • Community-based Abergelle goat genetic improvement through selection
  • Comparative growth and production performance evaluation of indigenous Begait and Abergelle goat breeds under a farmer’s management practice
  • Perceptions of goat milk and patterns of consumption in Abergelle district, Ethiopia

Feed resources and feeding systems

  • Assessment of feed resource bases and livestock feeding systems
  • Management and utilization of browse species as livestock feed
  • Evaluation of improved forage varieties and accessions (cowpea, lablab, and pigeon pea)
  • Performance of browsing goats and grazing sheep with different supplemental diets
  • Effect of intercropping cow pea and lablab with maize on forage and maize grain yields

Animal health improvement

  • General disease survey on major ruminant diseases
  • Identification of serotypes of pasteurella in small ruminants
  • Identification of small ruminant ectoparasites and their impact on skin quality
  • Animal health intervention at community-based breeding sites

Fish production and productivity improvements

  • Identification of the Nile tilapia breeding season in Tekeze reservoir
  • Characteristics and status of the highland lake Hashenge fishery
  • Assessment of fishery activities for enhanced management and improved fish production
  • Seasonal variation in physico-chemical parameters of the Tekeze reservoir,
  • Proximate and mineral composition of some commercially important fish species in Tekeze reservoir and Lake Hashenge
  • Evaluation of solar dryers on the drying and sensory properties of salted Tilapia filets
  • Nutritional and sensory acceptability of wheat bread made from fish flour
  • Gill net size determination for Nile tilapia (Niloticus)
  • Analysis of the diet and biochemical composition of Nile tilapia

Improvement of crop production and productivity

  • Distribution and abundance of striga infestations in Tigray
  • Integrated striga management options in striga-prone areas
  • Adaptation and scaling out of the groundnut (Sedi) variety
  • Response of groundnut genotypes to the combined application of phosphorus and foliar zinc fertilizers
  • Interaction of phosphorus and foliar zinc on seed quality and aspergillus infection in groundnut genotypes in dry land areas
  • Evaluation of sorghum, maize, groundnut, mung bean, cowpea, and haricot bean varieties
  • Select and popularize improved sorgum (Charie and Melkam) varieties in moisture-stressed areas.
  • Validation of NPSZnB fertilizer on maize, sorghum, and groundnuts
  • Seed multiplication of improved varieties

Improvement of horticultural production and productivity

  • Identification of insects and diseases associated with citrus
  • Evaluation of chemical, botanical, and cultural management options for termites on vegetable seedlings
  • Evaluation of NPS fertilizer on the yield and economic performance of a new variety of hot pepper
  • Adaptation and distribution of the evaluation of onion, tomato, and papaya varieties
  • Validation of NPSZnB fertilizer for onion, pepper, and tomato varieties

Forestry and agro forestry

  • Management of Ziziphus spina Christi on cultivated land for sustainable agricultural production
  • Screening of tree seedlings survival rate under natural selection
  • Indigenous knowledge based identification of medicinal plants
  • Adaptation trial of lowland bamboo for income diversification of irrigation schemes
  • Identification and documentation of wild edible trees and shrubs
  • Demonstration and popularization of Moringa stenoptella tree for human food

Irrigation and drainage systems

  • Hydraulic performance assessment of Tahtay Tsalit small scale irrigation scheme, Tigray
  • Performance evaluation of alternate, fixed and conventional furrow irrigation systems for pepper production
  • Estimation of crop water requirements and scheduling irrigation time for major vegetables
  • Improving irrigation water management through irrigation scheduling technologies and efficient fertilization for irrigated crops
  • Demonstration of drip irrigation for sweet potato production

Soil and water conservation

  • Growth performance evaluation of biological soil and water conservation measures at physically treated gullies
  • Evaluation of conservation farming practices for improving sorghum yield
  • GIS and USLE-based estimation of annual soil loss at the Tekeze model watershed
  • Demonstration of conservation farming practices

Socio economic and agricultural extension

  • Analysis of goat value chains in Tanqua Abergelle district
  • Analysis of opportunities and challenges of fish and tomato harvesting and marketing
  • Demonstration of improved sorghum varieties (Charie and Melkam), improved maize varieties (Melkassa-2), improved groundnut varieties, improved haricot bean varieties (Awashmelka), improved cow pea varieties (Bekur), and improved hot pepper varieties (Melkashote), integrated striga management technologies, and popularization of Koekoek

5. Partnership

The center has been closely working with different partner institutions of both governmental and non governmental. Currently, the world bank funded program known as Food System Resilience Program (FSRP), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the District Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development (BoARD), Mekelle University, and Aksum University are active partners of the research center.

Contact address: Abergelle Agricultural Research Center (AbARC)

Phone: +25134460741

Fax: +251344461057

P.O.Box:44, Abi-Adi, Tigray, Ethiopia


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