Vol. 8, Issue 7 (2019)

Author(s):
M Aarthi, S Vennila and K Palaniraja

Abstract:
The present investigation on genetic diversity was carried out with twenty five rice genotypes including saline tolerant check variety, TRY 1 and TRY(R) 3 during navarai 2018. Twenty five rice genotypes were used to evaluate their response in saline condition for 12 biometrical traits viz., days to first flowering, plant height, number of productive tillers per plant, number of grains per panicle, 100 grain weight, grain length, grain breadth, grain L/B ratio, kernel length, kernel breadth, kernel L/B ratio and grain yield per plant. Genetic divergence was studied based on Mahalanobis D² statistic and grouping of cluster was done following Tocher’s method. The analysis of variance revealed the presence of significant variability among the genotypes for all the characters studied. Twenty five rice genotypes were grouped into eight clusters based on genetic distance and mean of different characters. The maximum intra cluster distance was recorded by cluster VIII and maximum inter cluster distance was observed between clusters VII and VIII. Parents selected from these clusters could produce superior progenies and hybrids for saline tolerance. In the present study, the distantly related parents belonging to clusters VII and VIII, VI and VII may be used in a hybridization programme, since hybridization between divergent parents is likely to produce wide variability and transgressive segregation with high heterotic effects. Thus the genotypes, NLR 34449, ADT 46, ADT 49, BPT 5204 and TRY 3 holds greater potential for improving and stabilizing the productivity of saline prone areas.