Diversity analysis in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Abstract

In this experiment 74 Lentil genotypes, along with four check varieties (NDL-1, DPL-15, IPL-81, DPL-62) were analyzed for genetic diversity by Mahalanobis D2 statistics. Presence of diversity pave way for exploitation of genotypes in breeding programme intended to improve yield and yield attributing traits. The cluster analysis grouped 74 lentil genotypes into the 9 clusters. In this context, the cluster pairs exhibiting very high inter-cluster distance were between cluster V and cluster IX, followed by cluster III and cluster IX, cluster I and cluster IX and cluster IV and cluster IX consideration for their direct use as parents in hybridization programs to develop high yielding lentil varieties. Thus, hybridization among these cluster pairs is recommended for getting high transgressive segregants in F2 generation.