Genetic Variability Analysis for Yield and Yield-Associated Traits of Finger Millet [<i>Eleusine coracana</i> (L.) Gaertn.] Accessions at Mechara, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

The genetic enhancement of any crop, including finger millet, requires a certain degree of genetic variation for effective utilization in crop improvement programs. However, in Ethiopia, there is limited information on the extent and pattern of genetic variability of finger millet collections under diversified agro-climatic conditions. This makes it difficult for a population to adapt to changing environmental conditions. As a result, the population may be more vulnerable to extinction, exposure to new diseases, low productivity, and selection acting on any genes that may provide disease resistance. Therefore, knowledge of genetic variability is crucial for breeders in order to develop new cultivars with desired traits that are beneficial for both farmers and breeders. The present investigation was carried out to estimating the genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance in sixty four finger millet accessions for yield and yield-related traits at Mechara agricultural research center. The experimental design was laid out in 8 x 8 simple lattice design. The analysis of variance for mean sum of squares due to genotypes revealed highly significant differences for all the 17 quantitative characters. The genotypes showed the highest mean performance for grain yield ranged from 1.38 ton per hectare for ACC#208448 to 4.35 ton per hectare for ACC#230255. Whereas, genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were found high for biomass yield, harvest index, and grain yield. Broad-sense heritability ranged from 50.12% for the number of fingers per ear to 93.18% for days to heading. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean were observed for leaf number, finger length, ear weight, thousand grain weight, biomass yield, and harvest index. In general, the results demonstrated that the finger millet accessions exhibited a high degree of genetic variability for the traits studied, which can be helpful for genetic enhancement.