Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis of Quantitative Traits in Some Wollega Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) Landrace in Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Arabica coffee is cash crop which plays great role in providing foreign exchange for Ethiopia. The twenty six coffee genotypes (22 accessions with four standard checks) were used during field experiment using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The experiment was conducted with the objective to determine the association among quantitative traits of some wollega coffee genotypes. Quantitative data was taken for 23 traits of which 22 showed significant difference among coffee genotypes. Coffee bean yield had positive phenotypic and genotypic correlation with growth parameters such as Plant height (PH), height up to first primary branch (HFPB), total node number (TNN), diameter of main stem(DM), number of primary branches (NPB), number of bearing primary branches (NBPB), percentage of bearing primary branches (PBPB) and canopy diameter (CD). From path coefficient analysis of CD, fruit width and fruit thickness showed negative direct effect on yield. This implies that indirect selection of these traits via other traits for yield improvement is momentous. Average length of primary branch (ALPB), HFPB, TNN and NBPB had positive direct effect and positive phenotypic correlation (rp=0.18, 0.14, 0.36, 0.50 respectively) with green bean yield. This revealed that selecting plants with high performance in these traits will lead to selection of plants with high yield. Thus, priority should be given for these traits during breeding program for yield improvement.

Keywords:-Coffea arabica L., genotypic correlation, path coefficient, phenotypic correlation and traits

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/9-4-01

Publication date: April 30^th 2019