GENETIC VARIABILITY AND HERITABILITY STUDY OF COTTON (GOSSYPIUM HIRSTUM L.) GENOTYPES AT KAMASHI DISTRICT OF NORTH-WESTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Fifteen upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes were evaluated for eight traits in
randomized complete block design in three replications at Kamashi district of BenishangulGumuze Regional State during the 2007 main cropping season. The overall objective was to
determine and record phenotypic and genotypic variation of elite cotton lines for utilization
of the information in the breeding program to enhance cotton crop productivity and
production in Ethiopia. Data were collected on seed cotton yield in kg ha-1 and yield-related
traits and subjected to analysis of variance and subsequent estimation of variance components
including coefficient of variations, heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean.
Genotypes differed significantly for most of the traits and the relatively wide range of the
mean values for most of the characters indicated the existence of variations among the tested
genotypes. Estimates of phenotypic (PCV) and genotypic (GCV) coefficients of variations
were generally laid under low, moderate and high ranges. The PCV values were slightly
greater than the GCV values. Moderately high heritability was observed for Days to initial
flowering, Days to 50% flowering, days to 65% boll maturity, plant height, boll number, boll
weight and seed cotton yield. Estimated genetic advance as percent of the mean was
generally low for the four traits and moderate to high for four traits. Among the traits plant
height, boll number, boll weight and seed cotton yield had moderate to high genetic advance
as percent of mean.