Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
BS Thorat, SG Bhave, BD Waghmode, AV Mane, RL Kunkerkar, UB Pethe and SS Desai

Abstract:
An experiment was undertaken by utilizing forty Niger genotypes for thirteen yield and yield contributing characters to assess genetic divergence. The analysis of variance has shown that there was significant variation among the genotypes in all the traits except capitulum diameter and 1000 seed weight. The magnitude of D² values of pooled data, location wise forty genotypes were grouped in 5, 4, 4, 8 and 4 clusters for E1, E2, E3, E4 and E5, respectively. Solitary clusters were found in all the environments it indicating their independent identity and importance due to the unique characters constituted by that genotypes. Environment wise the highest inter cluster distance for pooled data was observed between cluster II and VI (D=13.26), II and III (D=7.28), III and IV (D=7.89), IV and VIII (D=8.45), and I and IV (D=7.54) for E1, E2, E3, E4 and E5, respectively. The high intra and inter-cluster distance was observed in many clusters it indicated the extent of variability existed in the genotypes comprised in a particular cluster and will give high heterotic response and better segregants. On the basis of intra and inter cluster distances, cluster mean and per se performance, the genotypes viz., G1, G2, G4, G8, G9, G10, G24, G25, G26, G28, G32, G35, G36, G39 and G40 were found to be superior. These genotypes may serve as potential parents for breeding programme. Selection must be done on considering plant height, number of primary and secondary branches plant^-1, total number of capitulum plant^-1, capitulum diameter, number of seeds capitulum^-1 and 1000 seed weight as their contribution towards total divergence is high.