Phenotypic Diversity in Ethiopian Food Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Genotypes

Abstract

In Ethiopia, barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is grown primarily for local food and beverage consumption. Keeping in view the inadequate number of improved food-barley varieties adapted to the different agroecological zones of Ethiopia, the present study was conducted on thirty six food barley genotypes to estimate the genetic variability, estimate genetic divergence and clustering them into genetically divergent classes. The genotypes were grown in a simple lattice design. Data were collected on 11 morph-agronomic quantitative characters. The results of genotypic path coefficient analysis indicated that biomass and harvest index had the highest positive direct effect on grain yield at Holetta and Debark. Selection for biomass and harvest index would, therefore, be very useful for grain yield improvement at both locations. Genotypes were grouped in to seven clusters which make them divergent. The present study generally implied the presence of significant genetic variability among the tested genotypes.