Genetic diversity in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. Complex)

Abstract

A quantitative assessment of genetic diversity for sixteen characters of sugarcane has been worked out by Mahalanobis D2 statistics. The studies included thirty genotypes of sugarcane obtained from different ecogeographical regions of India, which showed that there was a substantial genetic diversity between the genotypes with inter cluster distance (D) values ranging from 4.29 to 13.99. Thirty genotypes were grouped into fifteen clusters. The clustering pattern revealed that genetic diversity was not necessarily associated with geographical diversity in this crop. The hybridization programme has been suggested on the basis of inter cluster divergence and cluster means for the character studied.