Genetic diversity (D2) analysis in Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Abstract

The characters, days to 50% flowering, plant height, biological yield per plant and capsules per plant contributed more than 86% of the total genetic divergence. Mahalanobis D2 statistics revealed considerable genetic diversity among the genotypes. The 35 genotypes grouped into six clusters. This envisaged that the genotypes grouped within a particular cluster are more or less genetically similar to each other and apparent wide diversity is mainly due to the remaining genotypes distributed over rest of the other clusters. Genotypes belonging to cluster III (A-49, L-14, A-449, A-434 and 5620-A) exhibited maximum genetic diversity within the cluster as compared to the genotypes belonging to other clusters. Hence, hybridization could be taken up among these genotypes for obtaining desirable sergeants for the yield and yield component traits. On the basis of high inter cluster distance, hybridization programme could be taken up between the varieties of cluster II (A-210, Banner, A-10-2-2 and 191 RR 9/2) and cluster IV (LC-185, A-385 and LC-2063) and also between the varieties of cluster II (A-210, Banner, A-10-2-2 and 191 RR 9/2) and cluster VI (A-404, L-108, ARNY and NP-23K) for expecting the transgressive sergeants visa-vis a chance for selecting genetically variable genotypes for improvement in linseed. Heterotic cross combinations could also be exploited for development of hybrid in linseed. Genotypes from these clusters may be selected for hybridization programme, on the basis of their high per se performance for yield and yield contributing traits.