New Potential Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Varieties for Farmers in Rain-Fed Agro-Ecologies of North Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Seed cotton yield and fiber quality traits are controlled by many genes and also greatly affected by biotic and abiotic environmental factors. Hence, selection based on only yield would not be effective. In order to improve the yield potential of the cotton cultivars, an understanding of the relationship among various traits is of more importance. The current research was aimed to determine and record phenotypic and genotypic variation of elite cotton lines for utilization of the information in the breeding program to enhance cotton crop productivity and production in Ethiopia. Thus, 14 genotypes, five rows each, were evaluated in three replications at Homosha district of Benishangul-Gumz. The results depicted significant differences (P ≤0.05) among the varieties for all the studied traits, exhibiting the availability of substantial genetic variability among the cultivars for studied traits. Hence, these promising cultivars can further be exploited in various breeding programs to improve various characters of the cotton genotypes. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that sympodial branches plant-1, boll weight and bolls plant-1 made significant and positive associations with seed cotton yield plant-1. Thus, selection for these traits will ultimately enhance the chances of increasing seed cotton yield plant-1. High heritability estimates were found for all studied traits with the exception of monopodial branches plant-1, indicating that these traits were inherited together and direct selection may be proved to be useful for these traits.