The Role of Barley and Wheat Landraces after Introduction of Triticale, the Gamo Highlands in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack), an intergeneric hybrid of wheat (Triticum spp.) and rye (Secale cereale), was introduced to Ethiopia in 1970 (Pinto 1974), while improved varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and wheat were introduced in the 2000s. This paper explores the uses people have assigned to barley, wheat, and triticale in the current food culture in southern Ethiopia. The aim of this study is to analyze the factors that have contributed to the continued cultivation of barley and wheat landraces after the introduction of triticale. Barley, wheat, and triticale play an essential role as ingredients in daily meals as well as in feast meals. Two landraces of barley and one landrace of tetraploid wheat are currently grown in the area of study. Local people highly valued these landraces for their taste, market value, and short cultivation period. They have sustained the diverse food culture that existed before the introduction of triticale, despite changes in the frequency of meals and combination of ingredients. The continued cultivation and preference of landraces can be understood in terms of a combination of cultural, ecological, and economic conditions.