Patterns of phenotypic diversity for phenologic and qualitative traits in Ethiopian tetraploid wheat germplasm

A total of 4,840 entries of tetraploid wheat germplasm collections representing 121 accessions from Ethiopia were evaluated for phenologic and qualitative trait diversity. The objectives were to assess the diversity patterns of the germplasm with respect to regions, species and altitudinal class. High values of Shannon–Weaver Diversity Index (H′) were recorded for most traits in each region, altitudinal classes, and species. Monomorphism was also high at accession levels. Both H′ and Nei’s gene diversity value for the entire data set (total gene diversity HT = 0.572; the within accessions gene diversity HS = 0.112; and gene diversity among accessions DST = 0.460) showed the variation for the trait is mainly among accessions/populations rather than within accessions/population. The least mean H′ value over all the traits used for the study was obtained from released varieties (among the origin groups) and Triticumdicoccon (among species). Triticumdurum exhibit the highest H′ for a number of traits. Accessions collected from altitudinal class III (2401–2800 m a.s.l.) and class II (2001–2400 m a.s.l.) showed the highest H′ values for a valuable number of traits. Thus classifications using various phenology and qualitative traits enable to identify adaptation of a genotype and would improve the evaluation of genotype for potential adaptation.