Trait Correlation and Path Study for Quantitative Traits in Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Genotypes

Abstract

Garlic is a widely cultivated vegetable with both culinary and medicinal uses in Ethiopia. The analyses, focusing on various traits, help in identifying genotypes with high productivity and quality. Garlic reproduces solely vegetatively due to male and female sterility in its gametophytes. Its domestication originated from the wild species Allium longicuspis Regel. The introduction of diverse garlic varieties contributes to enhancing its genetic potential. This study aimed to assess the relationship between different traits and their influence on garlic bulb yield. The experiment conducted during the rainy season of 2020–2021 at the Fogera National Rice Research and Training Center in Ethiopia. The experiment included 49 garlic genotypes arranged in a simple lattice design with two replications. The results revealed significant genotypic correlation coefficients between fresh bulb yield per hectare and bulb weight per plant (r = 0.82***), pseudo-stem height (r = 0.82***), and clove weight (r = 0.81***). Similarly, significant positive phenotypic associations were observed between fresh bulb yield per hectare and clove weight per bulb (r = 0.77***), pseudo-stem height (r = 0.77***), and bulb weight per plant (r = 0.76***). Further analysis indicated that pseudo-stem height (0.42) and clove weight (0.39) exerted the highest phenotypic direct effects on fresh bulb yield per hectare. Therefore, traits such as clove weight, pseudo-stem height, and bulb weight exhibit high genotypic coefficients and significant direct effects on total bulb yield, making them crucial for direct selection to increase bulb yield.