Genetic Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance for Yield and Yield Related Traits in Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Genotypes

Abstract

Garlic production in most areas of Ethiopia especially in Amhara region is constrained by shortage of varieties, occasional ice storm raining, poor agronomic practice coupled with susceptibility to pests. Forty nine garlic genotypes were evaluated to determine magnitude of genetic variability for bulb yield and yield related traits in garlic accessions recently collected by Debreziet Agricultural Research center and Fogera National Rice Research and Training Center (FNRRTC) from different parts of Ethiopia. The experiment was laid out using 7×7 simple lattice design with two replications at FNRRTC in 2017/18. Data were collected for ten agronomic traits and analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p<0.01) among the genotypes for all traits except bulb length and yield per plant. Bulb yield per plant ranged from 1 to 38.35 gram with a mean of 12.4 gram. Moreover, three genotypes (G-17, G-22 and G-47) produced higher yield ranging from 15.7 to 38.35gram than the yield of four check varieties Tseday(G-1), Chefe(G-4), Kurfitu(G-30) and HL(G-36).Ten (20.4%) genotypes were early maturing than the check varieties. The genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) ranged from 5.1 and 5.4% for days to maturity to 55.5 and 68.9% for yield per plant. All traits had high broad sense heritability while genetic advance as percent of mean (GAM) ranged from 10.0 for days to maturity to 98.4% for neck diameter. Except days to maturity, all characters had high heritability coupled with high GAM which reflecting the presence of additive gene action for the expression of these traits and improvement of these traits could be done through selection.