Abstract:
Sorghum production is highly constrained by post flowering drought stress. The field
experiment was executed in Efratana Gidim district during 2022 under irrigation. The
experiment was laid out using alpha lattice design with the objective of evaluating genetic
variations and the association among yield and related traits in stay green introgressed
sorghum lines. The analysis of variance displayed significant (p≤ 0.05) differences for panicle
length, panicle weight, chlorophyll at flowering, transpiration at flowering and yield.
Phenotypic coefficient of variation ranged from 5.7% for chlorophyll at flowering (CHlF)) to
48.98% for stomatal conductance at flowering (gswF)) and from 3.07% for days to maturity
(DTM) to 32.99% for photosynthesis rate at hard dough stage (AG)) for water deficit and
well-watered, respectively. Genotypic coefficient of variation ranged from 3.91% for CHlF to
43.16% for AG and from 2.69% for DTM to 30.13% for peduncle exertion (PedEx) for water
deficit and well-watered, respectively. Heritability estimates ranged from 46.6% for CHlF to
98.5% for plant height (PHT) and from 67.2% for CHlF to 99.6% for PHT in water deficit
and well-watered, respectively. Genetic advance as percent of mean ranged from 5.49% for
CHlF to 80.68% for AG and from 4.85% for DTM to 58.33% for PedEx in water deficit and
well watered, respectively. Strong correlation and high direct path effect obtained between y
ield and panicle weight, panicle length. Four and five clusters obtained from water deficit a
nd well watered, respectively. Principal components with eigenvalues>1 explained 78.05%
and 74.03% of variations in water deficit and well watered, respectively. high diversity obtai
ned in stay green, grain color and glume color traits. In this study, high and promising yield
obtained from introgressed lines of ETSC16140 and ETSC16227. These finding implied that
future yield improvement in sorghum will be through stay-green introgression and selection.