The sugarcane productivity in Ethiopia is less than the world’s average due to the lack of varieties with high yield potential. Understanding the variability within a base population is crucial for successful crop improvement programs. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advance (GA) for 16 quantitative traits in 144 sugarcane genotypes. The experiment took place at the Metahara and Kessem Sugar Estates during the 2021–2022 seasons, using a partially balanced lattice design with two replications. The data collected for the 16 traits were analyzed using SAS and R software. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed highly significant differences ( p < 0.01) among the genotypes for all the studied traits, indicating that the genotypes are genetically diverse. The mean and range estimates showed greater variation in the number of millable canes, tillers, and leaf areas (LAs). Notably, a high phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was recorded for traits such as sprouting, the number of tillers, the number of millable canes, single cane weight (SCW), cane yield, and sugar yield. Additionally, high genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) and heritability were found for the number of tillers (24.4% and 86%), the number of millable canes (23.1% and 72%), and cane yield (69.9% and 64%). A significant GA, expressed as a percentage of the mean, was observed in the number of tillers (32.5%), the number of millable canes (31.6%), cane yield (68.3%), and sugar yield (63.6%), indicating a strong response to selection. This study also noted high genotypic variability, heritability, and GA for the number of tillers and millable canes, suggesting that these traits are controlled by additive gene action. As a result, simple phenotypic selection for these traits presents a feasible approach. Overall, the results indicate considerable variability among the examined sugarcane genotypes, which could be harnessed for further crop improvement through cross‐breeding.
Tesfa et al. (Thu,) studied this question.