Vol. 11, Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
Aurosikha Swain, Archana Mishra, Smaranika Mohanta, Rashmi K and Ajay Kumar Prusty

Abstract:
A study was conducted on 16 genotypes of Summer squash with 13 characters using Mahalanobis D² analysis. The experimental materials were evaluated during Rabi, 2021 at Horticultural Research Farm, Ranadevi, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Odisha. The cultivars were divided into 4 different clusters, out of which 11 cultivars were under cluster I (maximum) followed by cluster III and Ⅳ having 2 cultivars each and cluster Ⅱ with only one cultivar. Greater genetic variability among the genotypes belonging to various clusters is indicated by the fact that the inter cluster distance was greater than the intra cluster distance. Cluster IV has the highest intra-cluster values, whereas cluster II has the lowest. Between III and IV, there was the greatest inter cluster distance, while between I and II, the smallest. The characters contributing maximum to the total genetic divergence were number of harvest, average fruit weight, fruit girth, number of female flowers, number of male flowers in ascending order. The results obtained by D² analysis were confirmed by principal component analysis. From the present investigation, superior genotypes belonging to the most divergent groups viz. cluster III (Green Star and Bipin) and IV (Patty Pan and Palak Zucchini), can be used as parents to carry out hybridization work for development of hybrids in future.