Abstract

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an important food crop in Ethiopia. The present research was conducted to characterize the phenotypic variability of 68 tef genotypes collected from Ethiopia. Where a Bi-replicated 7×10 alpha lattice design was used to evaluate the 70 tef genotypes at Holetta and Debre Zeit Research Centers during 2015. Based on the results of cluster analysis (CA), genotypes were grouped into twelve clusters and twenty nine genotypes formed a single cluster; whereas, nine clusters comprised of five or few genotypes. The first five principal components (PC) with eigenvalue greater than one accounted for 80% of the total genetic variation, height related traits, the diameters of the two basal culm internodes, and number of spikletes and primary branches per main panicle were traits that chiefly contribute for the total variance accounted for by the first PC. The second PC gross variation originated due mainly to variations in yield and yield related traits like grain yield, total biomass, straw yield and harvest index. In addition, genetic distances (D2) which ranged from 326.22 to 25.07 were measured among the 12 clusters. Thus, indicates their chance of giving better genetic recombination and segregation of progenies.

Key words: Cluster analysis, genetic distance, multivariate, principal component, Tef.