Genetic Variation, Heritability and Genetic Advance Among Semi-Dwarf Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] Recombinant Inbred Lines with Emphasis to Lodging

Abstract

Tef is the foremost cereal crop largely produced and consumed mostly in Ethiopia. It is grown on more than 3.1 million hectares annually. However, it’s productivity relatively low (1.85 t/ha). On the other hand, it gained recently global popularity “Super grain” as healthy and performance food due to its gluten free especially for celiac disease, diabetic and gluten allergy people. It has also high mineral contents like iron for anemia, bone and heart health as well as brain function. Lodging is a major constraint which affect both yields and quality of the grain as well as the straw. This experiment was led to assess genetic variability between the lines relating to lodging and other yield related traits. A total of forty-nine recombinant inbred lines were tested for 16 traits using simple lattice design on two sites. All the traits measured over the sites displayed highly significant differences among the lines except fertile tiller per plant, while their environmental interaction effect also highly significant for most of the traits measured. Grain yield showed the highest phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) (26.36%) followed by above ground biomass (23.16%), while the remaining traits showed low ( 60%), whereas half of the remained traits showed low ( 17.02%) and least for number of branches per panicle (0.09%). From all the traits evaluated in this study, plant height, panicle length showed high H2 and aboveground biomass performs relatively high values of GCV, PCV and GAM. Therefore, these traits are important for selection and further improvements. This study revealed that four recombinant inbred lines had higher yield and low lodging index than local as well as standard checks.