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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
An experiment was undertaken by utilizing forty five Niger genotypes for twelve 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. The multivariate analysis carried out using MahalanobisD2-statistics, indicated wider genetic diversity in the genotypes of niger. Out of ten cluster formed, cluster III was largest with twelve genotypes, followed by cluster I with eleven genotypes, cluster II and V with six genotypes, cluster VIII with five and IV, VI, VII, IX, X were mono-genotypic. The clustering pattern indicated absence of relationship between genetic diversity and geographical origin of the genotypes. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster II and X (D2= 16.87) while, lowest divergence was noticed between cluster VII and X (D2=4.11). Maximum intra cluster distance observed within cluster V (D2=6.76) while lowest intra cluster distance was observed within cluster I (D2=5.16). The variance for cluster means were high for number of seeds per capitula (29.70), followed by number of secondary branches per plant (16.26), number of primary branches per plant (13.54), 1000 seed weight (12.53), number of capitula per plant (12.32) and was low for plant height, days to maturity, diameter of capitula, protein content, seed yield per plant, oil content, days to 50 % flowering. Based on inter-cluster distances, cluster mean and per se performance, and divergence class the genotypes viz., DHLN-17, DHLN-18, DHLN-26, DHLN-29, DHLN-39, DHLN-41, DHLN-42, DHLN-44 were distinct and diverse and can be classified as promising genotypes. These seven genotypes can be used for inter-crossing to obtain heterosis and also wider variability in Niger. Hybridization between the genotypes of cluster II with the genotypes of cluster X may result in exploiting more heterosis with maximum genetic divergence and are likely to produce desirable transgressive segregants in segregating generations for further crop improvement.