Growing of inferior genotypes with low yield and poor quality has been one of the major problems of sesame production in Ethiopia. Field experiment was conducted to assess the extent of genetic variation in sesame genotypes. A total of forty nine sesame genotypes were evaluated using simple lattice design at Bako and Uke during 2018 cropping season. The combined analysis of variance showed high significant differences at 0.01 level of significance among the genotypes for all quantitative traits. Branches per plant, capsule per plant, biomass yield, harvest index, thousand seed weight and bacterial blight severity showed medium Phenotypic and Genotypic Coefficient of Variations (GCV and PCV) values. Seed yield, biomass yield, capsule per plant, bacterial blight severity and branches per plant showed moderately high heritability with high genetic advance as percent of mean. Thousand seed weight showed high heritability with moderate genetic advance as percent of mean. Harvest index showed medium heritability and genetic advance percent mean. Whereas, all the remaining traits showed medium heritability with low genetic advance as percent mean. Generally, the result showed that significant genetic variation among tested genotypes and possibility to get genetic progresses in the succeeding breeding generations.

Keywords: Genetic advance, Heritability, Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), Variability