Vol. 11, Special Issue 8 (2022)

Author(s):
Geeta Kumari, RS Shukla and Pavan Devesh

Abstract:
The present investigation was carried out with 65 genotypes of bread wheat in complete randomized block design with 3 replications at the Seed Breeding Farm, Department of Plant breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur for the screening of genetic diversity for yield and physiological traits under normal sown condition. The observations were recorded on fifteen morphological and two physiological traits. Based on D2 Statistics, these 65 genotypes were grouped into five clusters. The highest intra-cluster distance was exhibited by cluster II (24.06) revealing maximum genetic divergence among its constituents. The highest inter-cluster distance was found between clusters II and III (76.64) and the lowest was between cluster I and IV (33.89). Cluster III exhibited highest cluster means for most of the agro-morphological traits like grain yield, 1000 grains weight and number of spikelets per spike while clusters V exhibited highest mean value for harvest index, spike weight and spike density. Maximum mean value for physiological traits like canopy temperature was observed in Clusters V while cluster II for chlorophyll content. On the basis of genetic diversity analysis, it was found that the maximum percent contribution towards genetic divergence in 65 wheat genotypes was from 1000 grain weight, grain yield per plant and biological yield and minimum by number of effective tillers per plant, spikelet number per spike and spike density.