Journal of Natural Sciences Research www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3186 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0921 (Online) Vol.5, No.11, 2015 109 Agromorphological Studies for Variability, Heritability and their Associations of Local Wheat Varieties (Triticum Spp.) Grown in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia Admas Alemu Faculty of Natural and Computational Sciences, Department of Biology, Debretabor University P.O. Box: 272, Debretabor, Ethiopia Email address: adth14@gmail.com Tesfaye Molla Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Studies, Department of Plant Science, Debretabor University P.O. Box: 272, Debretabor, Ethiopia Email address: tesfayemolla67@yahoo.com Abstract Wheat is the most important cereal crop in Ethiopia ranking third in terms of area after teff and maize and second in terms of production after maize. Six local wheat varieties commonly cultivated in South Gondar, one of the eleven zones found in Amhara region, were collected from the local farmers to study their variability and associations of yield and yield related traits using twelve agro-morphological traits. The studied genotypes were grown in main rain season of 2014/15 at Farta district in a complete randomized block design with three replications. Analysis of variance indicated the presence of highly significant difference among the studied genotypes which revealed the presence of high genetic variability of wheat in the study area. Highest yield was recorded from the local variety Ferno with 1957 kg/ha followed by Chekole (1588.33kg) and Canada Sendie (1580.7kg). Higher value of GCV and PCV were recorded in most of the studied traits indicating selection may be effective from these traits and phenotypic expression would be good indication of the genotypic potential. Broad sense heritability estimates were very high for most traits signifying the possibility of success in selection. Correlation study revealed that number of tillers per plant, number of seeds per plant and harvest index had positive and highly significant correlation with grain yield. The present investigation will guide in planning future breeding strategy with desired traits to improve this crop in the study area. Keywords: Local wheat varieties; agro-morphological traits; genetic variability; Heritability; Correlation 1. INTRODUCTION Wheat is one of the most important cereals world-wide and it is grown in many areas (Briggle and Curtis, 1987). It has been described as the ‘King of Cereals’ because of the acreage it occupies, high productivity and the prominent position it holds in the international food grain trade (FAO, 2004). During the past four decades, wheat has made a significant contribution to the increase in global food production. This is due to the use of higher-yielding, water and fertilizer responsive, and disease resistant cultivars, combined with strengthened input delivery systems, tailored management practices and improved marketing (Ortiz et al., 2008; Dixon et al., 2006). Wheat is the most important small cereal crops in Ethiopia (CSA, 2007). Both durum (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) species are widely cultivated in the country although other species are cultivated to a lesser extent (Amsal, 2001). Wheat is a temperate crop even currently it is also becoming most important cereals grown on a large scale in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Onwueme and Sinha, 1999). This makes it the most suitable and commonly cultivated crop in South Gondar highland areas. According to South Gondar Agriculture and rural development office, wheat has been the leading cultivated crop in the zone for longer years. Variability is the occurrence of differences among individuals due to differences in their genetic composition and/or the environment in which they are raised (Allard, 1960; Falconer and Mackay, 1996). If the character expression of two individuals could be measured in an environment identical for both, differences in expression would result from genetic control and hence such variation is called genetic variation (Falconer and Mackay, 1996). Information on the nature and magnitude of genetic variability present in a crop species is important for developing effective crop improvement program. Heritability in broad sense refers to the portion of phenotypically expressed variation, within a given environment and it measures the degree to which a trait can be modified by selection (Christiansen and Lewis, 1982). Grain yield is the most complex trait because it is influenced by all factors (known and unknown) that determine productivity (Araus et al., 2001). Consequently, the inheritance and interrelationships of grain yield and of characters influencing grain yield are highly important. It is, therefore, imperative to estimate the