Relationships and Path Coefficient Analysis of Yield and Yield-Related Traits of Finger Millet [<i>Eleusine coracana</i> (L.) Gaertn.] Genotypes at Mechara, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Finger millet is a major grain crop in Ethiopia, but due to a lack of high-yielding cultivars and a lack of genetic information, production is not at its genetic potential. The purpose of the current study is to ascertain the direct and indirect effects of yield-related traits on grain yield in finger millet genotypes as well as the relationship between yield and yield-related variables. The current study was carried out at the Mechara Agricultural Research Center during the 2021 cropping season. Sixty-four finger millet accessions, including three checks: Ikhulule, Meba, and Kumsa, were examined for 17 characteristics using an 8 × 8 simple lattice design. The findings indicated that, both at the genotypic and phenotypic levels, grain yield had a highly significant positive connection with the number of productive tillers (0.59), thousand grain weight (0.43), biomass yield (0.47), harvest index (0.41), leaf numbers (0.32), ear weight (0.41), and number of ears (0.32). At both the genotypic and phenotypic levels, the biomass yield (0.812) and harvest index (0.803) showed a strong positive direct influence on grain yield. Therefore, to develop a high-yielding finger millet genotype, the traits of number of productive tillers, thousand grain weight, biomass yield, harvest index, leaf numbers, ear weight, and number of ears should be carefully considered in developing an effective selection strategy.