Abstract

One hundred twenty germplasm collections of arabica coffee and four standard checks were evaluated for 19 quantitative traits using augmented design with four replications of the checks at Sidama specialty coffee ecology, Southern Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to address the nature of characters correlation and path coefficient among various quantitative traits. The result showed that in most of the traits, genotypic correlation coefficients were higher than the corresponding phenotypic correlation coefficients. Hundred green bean weight, stem diameter, canopy diameter, average length of primary branches, percent of bearing primary branches and leaf length were the most important traits which possessed positive association with coffee green bean yield. Likewise, path coefficient analysis was revealed that among the different yield contributing traits plant height, leaf length, leaf width, hundred green bean weight, percentage of bearing primary branches, stem diameter, average length of primary branches and coffee berry disease infestation influenced green bean weight directly and indirectly. Thus, selection for coffee green bean yield in coffee through these traits would be effective in order to boost the coffee production in Ethiopia.

Keywords: Coffea arabica; Coffee accession; Quantitative trait; Coffee green bean yield; Correlation and path coefficient