Measurement of correlation coefficients helps to identify the relative contribution of component characters towards yield. The present study was conducted to estimate association among traits and direct and indirect effects of traits on tuber yield under the rain fed condition in 2017 in two locations of central Ethiopia. A total of 20 improved varieties and one local farmers` potato cultivar were field tested in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance for yield and yield traits for each location and over locations revealed the presence of highly significant (P < 0.01) differences among varieties for all traits. Plant height, stem number per hill, average tuber number per hill, average tuber weight, total starch yield had positive and significant correlation with total tuber yield at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. These traits exerted indirect effects on total tuber yield through other traits and moreover, average tuber number per hill, average tuber weight and total starch yield had positive and direct effects on total tuber yield at the genotypic level. Hence, traits that exerted high direct effects on tuber yield could be considered as a selection criteria in potato breeding program.

Keywords: Genotypic correlation coefficients, tuber yield, potato, yield attributes, Path coefficient analysis