Genetic Diversity for Yield and Water Use Efficiency related Traits in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Abstract

Cluster analysis using Mahalnobis D2 was performed using 97 groundnut diverse genotypes for 14 yield contributing and water use efficiency related traits. The genotypes were grouped into twelve clusters based on D2 statistic. Cluster II was the largest with 54 genotypes followed by cluster I with 33 genotypes and remaining ten clusters had one genotype each. The inter cluster D2 values revealed maximum divergence between cluster VI and cluster III (1736), followed by cluster XII and cluster III (1622); cluster VI and cluster X11 (1389); cluster IX and cluster XI (1171) and cluster XI and cluster II (1041). It was observed that plant height was the largest contributor (65%) towards genetic divergence followed by days to maturity (10%) and secondary branches per plant (10%), SPAD Chlorophyll Meter Reading (SCMR; 4.3%) kernel length and hundred pod weight (1.2%) and Specific Leaf Area (SLA; 0.06%) contributed the least for divergence. Estimates of GCV and PCV were high for plant height, primary and secondary branches and pod yield per plant indicating higher genetic variation present in the genotypes studied. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for days to fifty per cent flowering, secondary branches per plant, hundred pod and kernel weight, kernel length and, SCMR. SLA exhibited moderate estimates of heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean