Genetic Analysis Studies in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Genotypes for Tuber Yield and Yield Related Traits

Potato is a high potential food security crop in the world including Ethiopia. Genetic variability is the basis of all crop improvement programs. The study was conducted at Adet in 2018 with the objective of assessing the extent and pattern of genetic variability of potato genotypes for yield and yield related traits. A total of 36 potato genotypes were evaluated for 18 quantitative traits in simple lattice design with two replication. The analysis of variance revealed that highly significant (p ≤ 0.001) difference among the tested potato genotypes for all quantitative traits except average stem number per hill. The phenotypic coefficient of variation was ranged from 4.56 to 56.01% (specific gravity and unmarketable tuber yield t ha-1 respectively) and the genotypic coefficient of variation was ranged between 2.32 to 40.66% (specific gravity and late blight severity percentage respectively). The broad sense heritability was ranged from 25.93 to 97.05% (specific gravity and late blight severity percentage respectively) and the genetic advance as percent of mean was ranged from 2.44 to 82.64% (specific gravity and late blight severity percentage respectively). Days to attain 50% emergence, leaf area index, number of marketable tubers and total tubers per plant, marketable and total tuber yield t ha-1 and late blight severity percentage had high heritability with high genetic advance as percent of mean. Most of the traits had high phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation; and coupled high heritability with high genetic advance as percent of mean. Traits having high heritability and high genetic advance as percent of means was effective for simple selection.