Traits Association in Durum Wheat Genotypes under Optimum and Low Nitrogen Conditions

Abstract

Realizing the nature and degree of association between yield and yield related traits under various environment and conditions is a pre-requisite in any crop improvement. A total of 200 durum wheat genotypes obtained from different sources were tested at Debre-Zeit, Chefe-Donsa and Minjar under optimum and low nitrogen in 2020 season. The objectives were to assess the relationship between grain yield and other important traits, and to determine relationships among the various traits and their direct and indirect effects on durum wheat grain yield under optimum and low nitrogen (N) conditions. The Phenotypic and genotypic association of grain yield with grain filling period, number of seed per spike, biomass yield, harvest index, normalized difference vegetative index, hectoliter weight, and chlorophyll contents were significant and positive under both optimum and low N conditions. Biomass yield, number of seed per spike, normalized difference vegetative index, harvest index, and hectoliter weight were direct contributors to grain yield under both N conditions. Thus, these traits can be used as the primary selection criteria for grain yield in durum wheat under optimum and low Nitrogen.