Association and Path Analyses amongMorpho-agronomic Traits, Fatty Acids Contents and Oil Yield in Linseed (Linumussitatisimum L.) Genotypes in Ethiopia

Abstract

The improvement for a trait of interest can be achieved by both direct and indirect selection of characters that are more heritable and easy to select. The aim of this study was to determine the degree and nature of associations among morphoagronomic taits, fatty acid contents and oil yield. One hundred twenty six (120 accessions and six improved varieties) linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) genotypes were evaluated for their morphoagronomic taits, fatty acid contents and oil yield using a Alpha lattice Design with two replications at farm fields of Holeta agricultural research center (HARC) and Kulumsa agricultural research center (KARC) during 2019/2020 cropping season in Ethiopia. At genotypic and phenotypic levels seed yield per plant had highly significant positive correlations with plant height, number of primary braches per plant, number of secondary braches per plant, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, thousand seed weight, biological yield per plant and oil yield per plant, indicating that selection based on these parameters would considerably enhance seed yield per plant. Oil yield per plant had positive and highly significant phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficients with plant height, number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, thousand seed weight, biological yield per plant, linolenic fatty acid andseed yield per plant, indicating that selection based on these parameters would considerably enhance oil yield per plant. Biological yield per plant and seed yield per plant revealed positive and the highest direct effect on seed yield per plant and oil yield per plant, respectively. Selection to improve seed yield and oil yield per plant will be effective through biological yield per plant and seed yield per plant, respectively.