Agronomic evaluation and genetic variability studies among fenugreek (trigonella foenum-graecum L.) genotypes at Kulumsa, southeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

To develop fenugreek varieties through selection or hybridization, evidence of accession variability is compulsory. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance and get insights on the variability of 28 fenugreek genotypes based on 15 morpho-agronomic traits in Kulumsa, during the 2021 and 2022 cropping years with 5 × 5 alpha lattice design in three replications. The analysis of variance revealed the presence of highly significant (P < 0.01) differences between genotypes for all traits. The top three accessions, namely fg-53072 (2243.70 kg ha-1), fg-201609 (2180.41 kg ha⁻¹), and fg-201604 (2049.95 kg ha⁻¹), were the high yielders compared to standard checks in a range of 666.69–2395.76 kg ha⁻¹ seed yield. The majority of traits demonstrated high heritability (≥60) coupled with high genetic advance as the percentage of the mean (>20) and genotypic coefficient of variation (>20). The study found strong positive associations between seed yield and yield-related traits. The first three main components accounted for 83.1 % of the variance in the genotype and five variables contributed the most. The result suggests that to boost the seed yield, selection and improvement could be focused on those traits to enhance progenies' performance. Furthermore, the seed yield of fenugreek could be enhanced by selecting the associated traits with seed yield. The findings have practical implications for breeders and farmers.