Author(s): Habte Jifar Daba
Grain yield is a complex quantitative trait resulting from the interaction of various genetic and environmental factors. Knowledge of the association of characters and the direct and indirect effects of the various characters on grain yield is essential for effective selection in crop improvement. Since such studies are very limited in tef, further research is required. This study was designed to examine the interrelationship among 12 characters and their direct and indirect effect on grain yield. Thus, 28 tef genotypes were evaluated at Holetta, Debre Zeit and Alem Tena during the main cropping season of 2015 in randomized complete block design with three replications. The study results revealed significant and positive genotypic and phenotypic correlation between grain yield and all studied traits other than days to heading and to maturity, lodging index and thousand kernel weight. The estimated values of genotypic correlations were also found to be higher than their respective phenotypic correlations. In the path coefficient analysis, very high (nearly one) genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of determination (R2) were also estimated. The highest positive genotypic and phenotypic direct effects on grain yield per plot was exhibited by total biomass and harvest index, respectively. Total biomass, furthermore, showed the highest genotypic indirect effect on grain yield via all traits other than lodging index and thousand kernel weight. Total biomass, harvest index, second culm diameter, plant height and panicle length, in general, showed positive and significant genotypic association with grain yield. Hence, these characters could be used as target traits for the improvement of grain yield in tef.
