Correlation of yield and yield related traits of Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) varieties in Ethiopia

Abstract

The Objective of this study was to understand the relationship between yield and yield related traits of tef varieties using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The experiment was conducted using twenty-one tef varieties obtained from tef breeding program based at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center. Data were collected on plant basis of plant height, panicle length, culm length, fertile tillers per plant and lodging index by taking randomly five plants from plots and plot basis of grain yield, above ground biomass, harvest index, straw yield, thousand seed weight, days to heading, days to maturity and grain filling period. The trail was laid out using Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications at South and Southwestern part of Ethiopia in main cropping season of 2018. Results revealed that according to statistical analysis grain yield was positive and significantly correlated with fertile tillers per plant (r=0.815) and positive and highly significantly correlated with above ground biomass (r=0.935) and straw yield (r=0.94) at 0.05 significant level. None of the other traits were showed positive and significant relationship with grain yield. In conclusion, Fertile tillers per plant, above ground biomass and straw yield were considered as good criteria for improvement of grain yield of tef varieties suitable for breeding programs.