Adoption Studies on Improved Chickpea Varieties in EthiopiaLDadiauthorSRegassaauthorAFikreauthorDMitikuauthorP MGaurauthorC L LGowdaauthorM C SBantilanauthorChickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important food legumes in Ethiopia contributing to about 17% of the countries’ total pulse production. Ethiopia is the largest chickpea growing country in Africa, with a share of about 37% in area and 48% in production. During 2003/2004, Ethiopia produced 135,930 m t of chickpea from an area of 168,089 ha. There has been an increase of 12% in area and 34% in production since 1981/1982. Most of the chickpea production goes for domestic consumption. However, there has been substantial export of chickpea during the past five years, with maximum of 48,549 t (valued at US$14.7 million) during 2002 (FAOSTAT 2005). Chickpea is an important source of dietary protein and minerals for many Ethiopians who cannot afford animal products. It is used in various forms, e.g., green seeds, dried seeds, dehulled-splits and flour. Chickpea straw is highly valued as animal feed. The farmers recognize the importance of legumes in improving soil fertility and thus grow chickpea and other legumes in rotation with cereals. The Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center (DZARC) has been the premier institute for chickpea research in Ethiopia. It has collaborated with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Aleppo, Syria, in chickpea improvement and released 10 chickpea varieties in Ethiopia. Of these, three (DZ-10-4, DZ-10-11 and Dubie) were developed from its own breeding materials, five (Mariye, Worku, Akaki, Shasho and Chefe) from the breeding materials supplied by ICRISAT, and two (Arerti and Habru) from the breeding materials supplied by ICARDA..........Chickpea2005International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid TropicsMonograph