Abstract

P N Verma1, B N Singh, R K Yadav

This study was carried out during Rabi 2010-11 at N.D. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad (UP), India with 108 bread wheat genotypes to assess the genetic variability and diversity for yield and yield related traits under sodic soils. The genotypes were evaluated for eleven quantitative traits and showed wide variability for the studied components. Maximum variations were observed among the entries for plant height with coefficient of variation 10.68% while minimum variability was found for productive tillers plant-1 . The entries NW-1014 and NW(S)-6-5 provided maximum number of grain spike-1 while entry KHARCHIA-65 was mainly characterized by having maximum grain yield plant-1 . The cluster analysis grouped the 108 bread wheat genotypes into 11 different clusters. The clustering pattern of genotypes showed no definite relationship between genetic divergence and geographical distribution of genotypes. Genotypes grouped into cluster XI showed maximum intra cluster diversity while cluster I and X, exhibited highest inter cluster diversity followed by clusters VIII and XI. From cluster mean value, genotypes in cluster X, VIII and VI deserve consideration for their direct use as parents in hybridization programs to develop high yielding wheat varieties. Thus, hybridization among these cluster pairs is recommended for getting high transgressive segregants in F2 generation.