Correlation and path coefficient analysis of yield related traits in recombinant inbred lines of tef (Eragrostis tef)

摘要

Knowledge of associations among yield and yield related traits is important to plant breeders for developing selection criteria. One hundred ninety F_8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of tef (Eragrostis tef) developed from an intra-specific cross between cvs DZ-01-974 and DZ-01-196, were field evaluated at two locations (Debre Zeit and Melkassa) in Ethiopia during the 2002 and 2003 main growing seasons. The objectives were to assess the nature and magnitude of associations among grain yield and yieldrelated traits, and to partition the correlations through path coefficient analysis in order to examine the relative importance of direct and indirect effects of the yield related traits on grain yield. At both the phenotypic and genotypic levels, grainyield was positively correlated with shoot biomass, individual plant above ground biomass, plant height, and panicle length. Moreover, the associations among most of the grain yield related traits were positive. However, seed weight showed no appreciable correlation with any of the traits studied. The path coefficient analysis revealed that the superseding component traits that exhibited positive direct effects and determining grain yield are shoot biomass followed by harvest index, panicle length andindividual plant above ground biomass in that order.