Study on Genetic Diversity in Relation to Number of Clusters in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted to examine the genetic diversity for several morphological traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was conducted at the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Janta Vedic College, Baraut, Baghpat (UP), India. The experimental materials consisted of 50 cultivars of bread wheat grown in the randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. Multivariate analysis using D² statistics [1] was used for assessing the genetic divergence between populations. All the 50 genotypes were classified into nine clusters. Cluster IV had maximum number of genotypes (10) and second larger group of genotypes were in cluster VIII with seven genotypes. The intracluster average D² value of cluster VI was 1.56, which revealed minimum genetic diversity among their constituents. The intracluster average D² value of cluster III (2.43) revealed maximum genetic diversity among their constituents. The averages intercluster D² value between cluster VII and II revealed maximum genetic diversity followed by cluster I and VII. Cluster I had the lowest cluster mean for days to 50% heading, productive tillers per plant and plant height. Cluster II had highest cluster mean for harvest index and the lowest cluster mean for number of grains per plant, grain filling index, grains yield per plant and biological yield per plant. Cluster IX had the highest cluster mean value for the character productive tillers per plant and the lowest cluster mean value for harvest index.

Keywords: genetic diversity, Triticum aestivum, yield components

Cite this Article

Singh SK, Singh D. Study on genetic diversity in relation to number of clusters in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Research & Reviews: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2017; 6(3):       18–23p.