Introductory information about Department of Plant Science

Department of Plant Science came into being in 2007-8 and started functioning with 52 students under College of Agricultural Sciences at Kulfo Campus. Plant Science, an engine that holds the key to the agricultural growth along with other relevant factors needs to be updated with the changing times. Therefore, agricultural education and training is pivotal and starkly dynamic that addresses socio-economic and technological development issues and in this context, education and training in plant science is to be analyzed and course curriculum modified. It’s here we are continuously striving to do the needful to serve the community.

Vision

Department of Plant Science aspires to be one of the leading departments of agricultural institutions and a center of excellence in the area of low-land crops in southern Ethiopia by 2020.

Mission

Department of Plant Science has a mission of offering relevant and high-quality education, training; conducting demand-driven, problem-solving research and consultancy; rendering accessible community services and promoting democratic thinking.

Academic Programs

Post-Graduate (MSc):

· Agronomy

· Soil Science

· Irrigation Agronomy

· Sugar Cane Production Technology

· Plant Science

Under-graduate

· Plant Science (BSc)

Partnership

· The department along with Southern Nations, Nationalities and People Regional State trains service students in summer

· Collaborating with Sugar Corporation of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in research and training of post-graduate students

Research Areas

Crop production, agronomic practices, agricultural resource management, crop improvement and crop protection are potential areas for research that will meet the emerging needs of the country; and information given below clarifies what scope each components really offers.

Crop Production: It addresses generation, adoption and dissemination of improved agricultural technologies i.e. improved varieties, agronomic practices, crop protection practices, post-harvest technologies and socio-economic aspects to enhance productivity in different agro-ecologies.

Agronomic Practices: It includes the development and dissemination of appropriate agronomic practices/packages such as site and crop specific fertilizer (organic/inorganic) requirements, method and time of application, inter-cropping, irrigation management practices, seed treatment and germination test, familiarizing Integrated Nutrient Management and tillage practices.

Agricultural Resource Management: The primary focus here is to undertake research studies on how efficiently the agricultural resources are managed in relation to productivity, profitability, and sustainability in the farming systems of the agrarian sector with the ultimate objective of alleviating hunger, malnutrition and poverty of the population.

Crop Improvement: It includes development of high-yielding, diseases and drought-resistant, early maturing varieties; adapting improved varieties to different agro-ecologies; collection and characterization of local germ-plasm, maintenance, multiplication of improved and breeding lines.

Crop Protection: It involves study on economically important crop pest and the screening and evaluation of different prevention and protections technologies and methods against pests such as legislative (quarantine & laws), physical (mechanical, chemical and biological) using natural enemies, integrated pest management.

On-going Research Projects

 

S.No

Title

Researcher Name

1

Effects of Inoculation Methods and Phosphorus level on Symbiotic Effectiveness of Soybean Varieties at Arba Minch

Dr. Dereje Tsegaye

2

Effect of Time and Amount of Irrigation water Application on Yield and Components of Cotton

Dr.Zenebe Mekonnen

3

Evaluation of sugarcane varieties (saccharin spp. Hynch rid) for Yield and Quality Characters at AMU

Pro.A.Q Khan &

Amare Girma

4

Physiochemical Characterization of Acidic soils of Dita District, Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Dr. P.D. Sharma

5

Determination of critical period of weed control in food Barely varieties under Belg season at chencha

Amare Girma

6

Evaluation of Local and Released Arabica Coffee Varieties for Yield and Quality Under Different Shade Trees at Gamo Gofa Zone, SNNPR

Degife Assefa (Gonfa Tolera)

7

Role of Indigenous Agricultural knowledge in Fertilizer Adoption and its Implication for Biodiversity Conservation

Tuma Ayele & Defaru Debebee

 

On-going Community Service Projects

 

S.No

Title of the Project

Service Provider Name

1

Promoting Conservation Agriculture for soil salinity and water scarcity conditions: The Case of Arba Minch Zuria and Dherashe Woredas

Tuma Ayele &

Tsedalu Alemu

Staff Profile

 

Contact Us:

Dr. Berhanu Lemma

Head of Department

P.O. Box 21

Arba Minch University

College of Agricultural Sciences

Tel: +251-901963574

Fax: +251-46881-0279

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..et or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.