Estimation of Correlation and Path Analysis of Yield and Yield-Contributing Traits of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes in Southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Forty-nine bread wheat genotypes were tested at Chena, Masha and Shay Bench, southwestern Ethiopia in 2017 and 2018 with the objective of estimating the association among yield and yield-contributing traits and determining the direct and indirect effect of the traits on the grain yield of wheat genotypes using 7x7 simple lattice design. Data were collected for 12 agronomic characters. Grain yield showed significant (p≤0.01) positive phenotypic correlations with thousand-kernel weight, aboveground biomass, harvest index at the locations except for plant height at Masha. Similarly, grain yield showed significant (p≤0.01) positive genotypic correlations with 1000-kernel weight, aboveground biomass and harvest index at Masha and Shay Bench and only with aboveground biomass and harvest index at Chena. Likewise, significant (p≤0.01) positive and negative phenotypic and genotypic correlations between the yield components were observed at all the locations. As per the path analysis, aboveground biomass, 1000-kernel weight and harvest index showed high positive phenotypic direct effect on grain yield at the locations. Similarly, at genotypic level, aboveground biomass, harvest index and 1000-kernel weight showed highly significant direct effect on the grain yield at the locations. Generally, it has been observed the presence of relationships in the tested traits of the genotypes studied. Hence, selection and hybridization on these genotypes based on the trait with high positive correlation coefficient and direct effect on grain yield can be recommended for further yield improvement of bread wheat at respective location