Genetic Variability and Yield Performance of Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L.) Genotypes Grown in Semi-Arid Ethiopia

The objective of this study was to understand the genotypic and phenotypic variations, and yield performance of early maturing sorghum genotypes. the experiment was conducted using randomized complete block design with row column arrangement and three replications. grain yield, phenological and other traits were recorded. the residual maximum likelihood (reml) combined analysis of variance across locations showed very highly significant (p<0.0001) difference for grain yield among locations and significant (p<0.05) among genotypes and highly significant (p<0.0001) among interactions for most of the traits studied. the genotypes 12mw6251, 14mwlsdt7322, 14mwlsdt7201, pipline2, 4mwlsdt7238, 14mwlsdt7234 and 14mwlsdt7176 had the highest in mean grain yield, panicle weight and panicle width from the tested genotypes in across locations. the high coefficients of phenotypic (pcv) and genotypic (gcv) variances were obtained for traits like panicle exertion, stay green, drought score base genetic background as well as the potential to respond entirely to select drought tolerant genotype for sorghum production in drought prone areas. the characters, which showed high heritability (h%) with high genetic advance as percentage of mean (gam%) were grain filling rate, plant hieght, grain yield, panicle weight, panicle exertion and stay green. the positive associations among grain yield with panicle weight, panicle width and grain filling rate indicate that selecting positively associated panicle related traits would have a positive effect on grain yield. genotypes 12mw6251, 14mwlsdt7238, pipline2 and 14mwlsdt7201 were grouped in cluster vi and identified for early flowering and maturity, and highest in grain yield, panicle weight, panicle length, panicle width, panicle number, plant hieght and thousand seed weight.