Genetic Variability Studies in Dry Lowland Sorghum Landraces of Abergelle, Northern Ethiopia

Background and Objective: Even though sorghum is the dominant cereal crop in Tigray region of Ethiopia, a limited research has been undertaken on existing sorghum landrace variability. Thus, this study aimed to assess the presence and degree of variability among fifteen sorghum landraces for desired agro-morphological traits at Abergelle Agricultural Research Center during the 2020 cropping season. Materials and Methods: The field experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected and analyzed for a variance in days to emergence, days to flowering, maturity, plant height, panicle length, number of seeds per panicle, thousand grain weight, grain yield and striga counts at sorghum harvesting under random stress conditions. Results: Based on mean performance the genotypes Birle (3750 kg/ha), Woitozira (3500 kg/ha), Tewzale (3260 kg/ha), Daka (3000 kg/ha) and Amsel (2700 kg/ha) were found to be superior over check variety Chare. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) exceeded the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all the variables studied, suggesting a certain degree of interaction with the environment. Moreover, high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of the mean (GAM) were recorded for grain yield, panicle length, number of seeds per panicle, thousand grain weight and plant height, reflecting the presence of additive gene action for the expression of these traits. Therefore, improvement of these traits could be done through selection. Conclusion: The high yield performance of sorghum landraces screened in this study could be exploited as a source of breeding materials for further sorghum improvement to enhance grain yield.