Abstract

The cultivation of Ethiopian Kale in Ethiopia is an old practice, primarily as leafy vegetable and for oil in the seeds. It is necessary to take important measure to improve the production potential of domestic source. The knowledge of the association between various yield components and yield is paramount important for effective selection in crop improvement. The present study was carried out to assess the extent of correlation between yield and yield related traits and determine the direct and indirect contribution of traits. Forty nine Ethiopian Kale accession were evaluated at Debre zeit Agricultural research center using 7 × 7 simple lattice design in 2017/18 cropping season. The results from correlation study showed that Leaf yield had positive and significant correlation with number of leaves per plant, leaf fresh weight per plant, leaf dry matter content, days to first leaf picking and days to second leaf picking both at genotypic and phenotypic levels indicating that those traits as a selection criteria could be an effective way to improve yield. Path coefficient analysis revealed positive and direct effect of days to first leaf picking, leaf fresh weight per plant, leaf dry matter content and number of leaves per plant on yield, indicating the true relationship between this traits which should be given prior attention aimed at the improvement of leaf yield of Ethiopian kale.