Genetic variability and diversity for productivity traits and grain quality including nutritional quality traits in selected mini core and promising released varieties of sorghum

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to assess nature and magnitude of genetic variability for productivity, grain and nutritional quality traits in selected mini core collection and promising varieties of sorghum. High estimates of PCV and GCV were recorded for most of the characters in selected mini core accessions except for seed bulk density and seed true density. Similarly, among promising varieties observed in grain yield per plant and fodder yield per plot. Based on D2 statistics and tocher method an attempt was made, 25 selected mini core accessions and 16 promising varieties were grouped into 6 and 5 cluster, respectively. Selected mini core collection exhibited wide variation for seed hardness ranging from hard (33.33%) to very hard (66.67%) seeds which is primary source of variability for improvement. Whereas, promising released varieties had hard (62.5%) to very hard (37.5%) seeds with round and lustrous in appearance.