QUANTITATIVE-EVALUATION OF ETHIOPIAN LANDRACES OF LENTIL (LENS-CULINARIS)

One hundred and fifty-six landrace populations of lentil (Lens culinar is Medikus) collected from 10 provinces in Ethiopia were evaluated for a set of six quantitative traits at three sites contrasting in altitu de. Consistent regional differences among landraces were found for tim e to flower and maturity, 100-seed weight, number of seeds/pod and pla nt height. The regional differences were clarified by a discriminant a nalysis based on 100-seed weight, time to flower and plant height. The lentil of the West Highlands was early and short, that of the North H ighlands was large-seeded, whereas lentils from the Central Highlands were the least distinctive group. Selection for seed size was the resu lt of local human preferences. Humans were probably also responsible f or the lack of adaptive value of plant phenology in relation to altitu de. Selection for seed yield at the low and middle elevation sites gav e a positive response to selection at both sites. However, selection f or yield at the highland site did not give a positive response elsewhe re, indicating that adaptation to highland conditions differed from th at at lower elevations.