Abstract

In any plant breeding program, genetic variability and related parameters study in a given population is a pilar to identifying and selecting elite breeding materials to develop ideal varieties. Two hundred twenty sunflower genotypes including checks were evaluated for important agronomic traits and their Fatty acid profile contents using an Alpha Lattice design with two replications. A significant genetic variability and its related parameters were observed for all the traits under study. Descriptive statistics analysis shows a remarkable phenotypic variation among sunflower genotypes. The high genotypic and phenotypic variance was observed for stearic acid content, Oleic acid content, linoleic acid content, days to maturity, days to flowering, and chlorophyll content. A significant phenotypic variance was observed for all studied traits, especially for selected fatty acid Profiles. Fatty acid profile, palmitic acid, stearic acid, and Oleic acid content and 100 seed weight showed high PCV and GCV values. The Highest heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percent of mean was observed by palmitic acid content, stearic acid content, Oleic acid content, days to flowering, days to maturity, hundred seed weight, and oil content. Highly negatively correlated and positively correlated responses of the traits were also observed. Exhaustive work should be done in Ethiopia supported by molecular data is recommendable for future breeding. The output of this study can be used for information, and reference and will also be helpful in the amplification of future sunflower improvement at the national level.