GENETIC DIVERSITY STUDIES, HERITABILITY, CORRELATION AND PROXIMATE ANALYSIS AMONG ACHA (Digitaria exilis) ACCESSIONS

Abstract

The study assessed variability, heritability and genetic relationships in the proximate composition among 14 Acha (Digitaria exilis Staph) accessions collected from Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Local Government Areas of Bauchi State in North Eastern Nigeria. Entries were pretested in the screen house in plastic pots in 2017 and later evaluated in the field under rain-fed conditions in 2017 and 2018 using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Three (3) samples of harvested grain, for each entry, were subjected to proximate analysis in the laboratory to determine their percent proximate composition in: Crude protein (% CP), Crude fiber (% CF), Ether extract (% EE), Ash content (% Ash) and Nitrogen free extract (%NFE) using standard Analytical methods. Analysis of variance was done using Genstat version 16th). Results obtained in this study revealed that all biochemical parameters differed significantly (P≤0.001) among these accessions. Mean percent in crude protein (CP) was 7.5 %, Crude Fiber was 0.85 %, while that of ether extract (%EE) and ash content (% Ash) were 1.94% and 1.87%, respectively. Except for Ether Extract, other biochemical variables under investigation recorded negative correlation with grain yield. Phylogenetic studies revealed two cluster groups among acha accessions. High percent heritability values, in broad sense of (between 77% and 99 %), couple with high genetic advance as percent of mean (GAM) were recorded for most of characters under investigation, indicating a good scope for improvement through selection.