GENETIC VARIABILITY, HERITABILITY AND GENETIC ADVANCE IN SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor (L.)Moench) ACCESSIONS FROM WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the variability of sorghum accessions from West and Central Africa and estimate heritability and genetic advance for important agronomic traits at the Sadore Research Station of ICRISAT Niamey, during the 2018 dry season. The treatment consisted of Seventy-five (75) sorghum germplasm accessions of WCA origin, collected from the gene bank at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and were field-evaluated using randomized complete block design with two replications.cData were collected on grain yield and agronomic traits and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and heritability and genetic advances were estimated. Result of the study revealed that, atotal of 51 accessions among the 75 used for the study exhibited photoperiodism and did not reach harvest maturity. However, variability among the remaining 24 photoperiod non-sensitive accessions was high; this was indicated by the larger range in mean values for the quantitative traits. The result further indicated a higher magnitude of variation for grain yield (GCV = 108.6%) and 100-seed weight (GCV = 31.6%). High heritability and high predicted genetic advance expressed as percent of mean were also observed for grain yield (92.0%, 214.5%), 100-seed weight (76.7%, 57.00%), plant height (72.8%, 22.6%) and panicle length (70.9%, 32.1%). The high genetic variability found in these accessions coupled with the high heritability and genetic advance, especially in quantitative traits, suggest the presence of additive gene action in these traits, thus giving a better scope for selection. With grain yield and 100-seed weight showing the most variability as compared to other traits, selection for grain yield on the basis of 100-seed weight can be effective considering its high GCV, heritability and genetic advance. Therefore selection among these accessions for traits of interest is feasible, however, a molecular studies of the inheritance of these traits will give a more precise outcome. Molecular studies of the inheritance of these traits is further recommended to give a more precise approach to the selection of these traits.