Diversity among germplasm lines of the Ethiopian cereal tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]

Three hundred twenty germplasm lines of the major Ethiopian cereal, tef, [E ragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], were evaluated for 20 morphological, phenol ogical and agronomic characters in two-replicated randomized complete block s at Debre Zeit and Melkassa Agricultural Research Centers in Ethiopia duri ng the 1995 main season. The objectives were to assess the diversity of the lines, and to estimate the broad sense heritability (H) and genetic advanc e (GA) of the various characters. The mean squares of genotypes were highly significant (p less than or equal to 0.001) for all the traits. The phenot ypic and genotypic coefficients of variation ranged in that order from abou t 6-40% and 3-23% for days to maturity and grain yield/plant, and days to m aturity and number of spikelets/main shoot panicle, respectively. The clust er analysis grouped the genotypes into 14 major complexes consisting of one to 183 lines. Of the 19 principal components involved in explaining the en tire variation among the genotypes the first five which had eigenvalues of more than one explained about 73.8%. The first principal component which ac counted for about 34% of the total variance was due chiefly to plant height , culm and panicle length, diameters of the two basal culm internodes, main shoot panicle mass and grain yield, number of main shoot panicle branches and spikelets, and days to panicle emergence and maturity. Estimates of H v aried from about 22% for length of the lowest main shoot stem internode to 74% for number of main shoot panicle branches. Values of GA (expected from selection of the superior 5% of the lines and expressed relative to the mea ns) ranged from about 3% for days to maturity to 36% for number of spikelet s/main shoot panicle. Overall, the study indicated the existence of trait d iversity in tef germplasm and this can be exploited in the genetic improvem ent of the crop through hybridization and selection.