Geno action for some quantitative traits of tef (Eragrostis tef)
1996
Hailu Tefera (Alemaya University of Agriculture, Dire Dawa (Ethiopia)) | Peat, W.E.
An experiment was conducted on the generation derived from the cross of two pure breeding lines (DZ-01-2331 x DZ-01-186) of tef to determine the gene action, degree of dominance and heritability of important agronomic traits of tef. Epistasis was found to be part of the genetical architecture of grain yield and other agronomic traits of tef. Grain yield was controlled by additive and dominance x dominance form of gene interaction. Additive, dominance and dominance x dominance interaction components explained the variations in panicle weight and plant weight (shoot biomass). Similarly, epistasis was detected for tiller number, plant height, panicle length and days to maturity. Grain yield showed a very low narrow sense heritability value. Heritability estimates were high for tiller number and panicle length and intermediage for panicle weight, plant weight, plant height and days to maturity. Tef is an autogamous crop and hence the final product of the breeding activity is a pure line variety. Because grain yield and other yield related traits show epistatic gene action, starting selection at early generations is not recommendable. Therefore, selection for these traits should begin when enough homozygosity is attained, at which time the additive and additive x additive variances are predominant.
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