ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/abr.2026.06.005
Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Research in the Ari Zone of Southern Ethiopia: A Systematic Review of Agronomic Performance, Production Constraints, Technological Adoption, and Research Gaps
Daniel Abebe*, Damtew Atnafu, Gezahegn Gebeyehu
Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jinka University, P.O. Box 165, Jinka, Ethiopia.
*Corresponding author: Daniel Abebe
Published: June 30, 2026
Abstract
Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) are important cool-season food legumes in Ethiopia, contributing to household food security, nutrition, soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation, and rural livelihoods. Despite the favorable agroecological conditions of the Ari Zone in southern Ethiopia, the productivity of these crops remains below their potential because of biophysical, socioeconomic, and institutional constraints. This systematic review synthesizes available evidence on the agronomic performance, production constraints, technology adoption, and research gaps related to field pea and faba bean production in the Ari Zone and comparable agroecological areas. The review followed PRISMA guidelines, and relevant studies published between 1990 and 2024 were identified through Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), university repositories, institutional reports, and other scientific databases. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed articles, theses, and technical reports reporting empirical data on varietal performance, soil fertility management, crop management, disease incidence, and technology adoption. The evidence consistently showed that improved varieties outperformed local cultivars, with grain yield advantages ranging from 30% to more than 100% under improved management practices. However, productivity remains constrained by declining soil fertility, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies, limited access to quality seed, weak extension services, erratic rainfall, and major diseases such as chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) in faba bean and powdery mildew in field pea. Adoption of improved technologies remains low because of poor seed systems, high input costs, and weak research–extension–farmer linkages. The review identified significant research gaps, including limited multi-location and long-term studies, inadequate genotype × environment analyses, and insufficient socioeconomic research on technology adoption. Future research should prioritize participatory breeding, integrated soil fertility management, climate-resilient technologies, and strengthened extension and seed systems to improve pulse productivity and sustainability in the Ari Zone.
Keyword
Field pea; faba bean; agronomic performance; technology adoption; production constraints; systematic review; Ari Zone; Ethiopia
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Copyright
© 2026 by the author(s).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
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How to cite this paper
Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Research in the Ari Zone of Southern Ethiopia: A Systematic Review of Agronomic Performance, Production Constraints, Technological Adoption, and Research Gaps
How to cite this paper: Daniel Abebe, Damtew Atnafu, Gezahegn Gebeyehu. (2026) Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) and Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Research in the Ari Zone of Southern Ethiopia: A Systematic Review of Agronomic Performance, Production Constraints, Technological Adoption, and Research Gaps. Advance in Biological Research, 7(1), 47-53.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/abr.2026.06.005