Vol. 8, Issue 12 (2019)

Author(s):
Yogendra Kumar, Rameshwar Prasad and Chameli

Abstract:
An experiment was carried out to identify the extent of genetic divergence that exist for the yield and yield contributing characters of 25 genotypes of Amaranthus (Amaranthus spp.) using statistics as proposed by Mahalanobis (1936) D² analysis. Analysis of variance showed significant difference among the genotypes for most of the characters studied. The genotypes under study fell into 5 clusters. The distribution pattern indicated that the distribution pattern indicated that the maximum numbers of six genotypes each were included in cluster-IV and cluster-V each followed by five genotypes in cluster-II and cluster-III and three genotypes in cluster-I.The intra cluster D² values ranged from 1.849 (cluster III) to 2.345 (cluster V). The intra cluster distance was observed highest in cluster V (2.345) followed by cluster IV (2.284), cluster I (2.050), cluster II (1.954) and was recorded the lowest in cluster III (1.849), which indicate distance within the cluster. However, the inter-cluster D² values varied from clusters II and V (2.523) to clusters II and III (6.370). The maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between the clusters II and III (6.370) followed by cluster III and IV (6.272), cluster I and IV (5.314) cluster III and V (4.795), cluster I and III (4.625), cluster I and II (4.278), cluster I and V (3.818), cluster II and IV (2.880), cluster IV and V (2.800), and the minimum inter-cluster observed between cluster II and V (2.523). Above finding indicated that high inter-cluster distance were the main causes of diversity in composition of cluster and hence, can be exploited in hybridization programme.