GENETIC DIVERGENCE ANALYSIS IN PEARL MILLET GENOTYPES (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.)

In the present investigation, fifty genotypes of bajra were evaluated to study the genetic diversity present in the experimental material for selection of the diverse parents, to estimate the genetic parameters among the genotypes for yield, and the extent of association between the yield and its component characters including direct and indirect effects. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem farm, Mahabubnagar during Kharif 2013. Analysis of variance indicated the existence of significant genotypic differences among the genotypes for the yield and its component characters. The genotypic coefficients of variation for all the characters studied were lesser than the phenotypic coefficients of variation indicating the effect of the environment. Moderate GCV and PCV values were observed for plant height, panicle diameter, panicle length, productive tillers, 1000 grain weight, and fodder yield per plot. The values of genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation were low for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity. The other characters grain yield per plant and grain yield per plot exhibited moderate GCV high PCV. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for plant height, panicle diameter, panicle length, productive tillers, 1000-grain weight, grain yield per plant, grain yield per plot and fodder yield per plot indicating additive type of gene action in the inheritance of these characters and hence these characters could be improved through simple phenotype selection. The High estimates of heritability coupled with low genetic advance as percent of mean as well as moderate genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for days to maturity and days to 50 % flowering respectively indicated the presence of non-additive gene action. The association of different traits indicated significant positive association for grain yield per plant with days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, plant height, productive tillers per plant, panicle length, panicle diameter, 1000-grain weight, grain yield per plot, fodder yield per plot and possibility of simultaneous improvement of these characters along with grain yield. The path analysis indicated that selection for panicle diameter, days to 50% flowering, 1000-grain weight, productive tillers per plant, panicle length, plant height would directly increase grain yield. Based on the D 2 results, the genotypes showed considerable amount of genetic diversity and the genotypes were grouped into ten clusters. The grouping of genotypes into clusters was at random indicating that geographical isolation might not be the only factor causing genetic diversity. Out of ten characters studied, days to 50 % flowering contributed maximum (28.08%) towards divergence followed 1000-grain weight (27.43%), panicle diameter (15.43%), productive tillers per plant (13.31%), plant height (8.33%) and panicle length (4.65%). Based on D 2 values, crosses are proposed between the genotypes of clusters 15467 of cluster IX and 15156 of cluster X had high cluster distance for improvement of high productive tillers, 1000-grain weight, early flowering and early maturity, and between 15156 of cluster X, cluster I (957, 15004, 1655, 15181, 1210, 1457 and 1023) for improvement of early flowering, productive tillers, panicle diameter and 1000-grain weight which ultimately results in high yield.