Volume 12, Issue 25, January - June 2026

Genetic Variability and Trait Heritability among Ethiopian Commercial Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L.) Varieties in Major Wheat-Producing Areas of Southern Ethiopia

Andualem Alemayehu^♦, Mohammed Bikamo

Areka Agricultural Research Center PO Box 79, In South Ethiopia Agricultural Research Institute, Ethiopia

^♦Corresponding author
Andualem Alemayehu, Areka Agricultural Research Center PO Box 79, In South Ethiopia Agricultural Research Institute, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops worldwide and plays a vital role in global food security. Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) is among the top ten globally cultivated crops and is recognized as a stress-tolerant and ancient cereal. A field experiment was conducted during the 2020 main cropping season at four locations to assess the genetic variability of durum wheat varieties. The primary objective of the study was to estimate heritability, genetic advance, and the extent of genetic variation for grain yield and its associated traits. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Quantitative data were collected on a plant and plot basis for sixteen agronomic and yield-related traits. Individual and combined analyses of variance for eleven traits revealed significant (P < 0.05) and highly significant (P < 0.01) differences among the tested varieties, indicating the presence of substantial genetic variability. Grain yield performance across the four locations exhibited a wide range of mean variation among varieties. Estimates of genotypic (σ²g) and phenotypic (σ²p) variances demonstrated considerable genetic and phenotypic variability for most traits. High genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) were observed for spike length, biological yield, and grain yield, suggesting that phenotypic expression reliably reflects genotypic performance and that selection based on phenotype would be effective for these traits. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for biological yield (59%), spike length (50%), thousand seed weight (35.5%), and number of spikelets per spike (26%), indicating that these traits are predominantly governed by additive gene effects and can be improved through direct selection. Principal component analysis revealed that the first three principal components accounted for 77% of the total phenotypic variation, with PCA1 explaining 41%, PCA2 21%, and PCA3 15%. Traits such as days to heading, grain filling period, spike length, number of spikelets per spike, number of kernels per spike, and biological yield contributed most to PCA1 and played a major role in differentiating low- and high-yielding varieties. Overall, the study confirmed the existence of sufficient genetic variability among the tested durum wheat varieties, indicating substantial opportunities for genetic improvement through selection and further breeding programs.

Keywords: Heritability; Genetic variability; Genetic advance; Principal component analysis; Eigenvalue

Discovery Agriculture, 2026, 12, e3da3179

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Published: 07 February 2026