Comparative study of new rice varieties introduced in Angola with the participation of farmer field schools

Abstract

National rice production in Angola meets less than 3% of domestic demand, a situation sustained by the predominance of unimproved local varieties and the absence of varietal recommendations calibrated to the country's agroecological diversity. This study evaluated the introduction, dissemination, and adoption of twenty rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.) at eighty sites distributed across seventeen provinces of Angola, over ten agricultural campaigns (2014-2024), through agronomic trials conducted in collaboration with Farmer Field Schools (FFS). The trials followed an incomplete randomized block design, with three replications and sixty plots per site, under a basal fertilization of 200 kg ha⁻¹ of N₁₂P₂₄K₁₂ and a top-dressing of 75 kg ha⁻¹ of urea. Six traits were evaluated: days to flowering, days to physiological maturity, cycle duration to harvest, plant height, number of tillers, and grain yield. Mean yield ranged from 0.75 to 6.70 t ha⁻¹, with NERICA L19 (6.70 t ha⁻¹), FOFIFA 3737 A (4.17 t ha⁻¹), WAB 189 (3.88 t ha⁻¹) and NERICA 4 (3.59 t ha⁻¹) standing out, corresponding to gains of 344%, 177%, 158% and 139% relative to the mean of the local checks (1.51 t ha⁻¹). It is concluded that the integration of multi-environment trials with active participation within Farmer Field Schools accelerated the adoption of improved germplasm and defined a minimum set of recommendable varieties per agroecological zone, whose sustainability now depends on the multiplication of basic seed and the consolidation of the national seed system.