ISSN 2360-7971
Abstract
Accepted 17Janaury, 2019
An experiment was conducted at Guraghe zone central Ethiopia during 2016 main cropping season in order to identify and promote well adapted and promising genotypes of teff. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The data recorded were plant height, panicle length, lodging index, stand percentage, days to maturity, leaf rust disease, grain yield, biomass yield and harvest index. The data was analyzed using SAS software and means were separated using least significant difference. The analysis showed that varieties indicates significance difference (P<0.05) for all agronomic traits, but it indicates none significant difference by their stand percentage. Dz-cr-387 (Quncho) was shown to be high yielder variety followed by the varieties Dz-01-354and Dz-Cr-385 with the values of 3283.3, 3133.3 and 3025.0 kg ha-1, respectively. The varieties Dz-01-196, Dz-cr-387 and Dz-cr-974 were found to be having high biomass with the values of 15458, 15175 and 14392 kg ha-1, respectively. Dz-cr-387 (Quncho) was superior in almost all the agronomic traits evaluated while varieties Dz-01-1281 and Dz-01-787 were out performed by most of the improved varieties of teff tested. The varieties evaluated had a wide genetic background for the studied traits, thus showing grain yield ranges from 2000 to 3283.30 kg ha-1. Therefore, based on objectively measured traits, the variety Dz-cr-387 was found most promising having the potential to increase the average yield of tef in Guraghe zone and is therefore recommended for general cultivation. The correlation coefficients among all possible pairs of traits in this study was indicates that Grain yield exhibited strong positive and significant correlation with biological yield (0.618**), harvest index (0.387**), Plant height (0.160), Panicle length (0 .096), Lodging index (0.097), and Spike length (0 .051). Generally, the present study revealed the identification of genotypes with superior grain yield and other desirable traits for further evaluation and eventual release to the farming community.
Keywords: Teff, Variety, Grain yield, Guraghe zone and Genotypes.