GENETIC DIVERGENCE STUDIES IN FODDER COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA) USING D2 STATISTICS
V. S. PRAVEENA*, MAREEN ABRAHAM AND VIJAYARAGHAVA KUMAR
College of Agriculture,
Vellayani, Kerala, India
*(e-mail : praveenavs100@gmail.com)
(Received : 24 January 2019; Accepted : 26 February 2019)
SUMMARY
Thirty genotypes of fodder cowpea were evaluated in field during the kharif season of 2016 for fourteen characters at College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani, Kerala, India. Based on D2 analysis, these genotypes were grouped into eleven clusters. Cluster analysis revealed that cluster I (10 genotypes) and cluster II (5 genotypes) were the largest groups, followed by cluster III (4 genotypes) and cluster IV (4 genotypes). All other clusters from cluster V to cluster XI had only one genotype each. The maximum intra-cluster D2 value was shown by cluster IV (146.57), followed by cluster I (127.52), cluster II (101.49) and cluster III (55.47). Highest inter-cluster D2 values among genotypes existed between cluster VIII and cluster X (1559.98), followed by cluster VIII and cluster XI (1480.33), cluster VIII and cluster II (1367.65), and cluster VIII and cluster IV (1309.08). Minimum inter-cluster D2 values among genotypes existed between cluster XI and cluster IX (160.10) followed by cluster I and cluster III (164.51), cluster XI and cluster IV (167.47). The analysis clearly shows the existence of significant difference between the 3o genotypes under study for the 14 characters. Hence selection of suitable parents for further breeding programmes based on the requirement can be done from the available gene pool.
Key words: Minicore, cluster, diversity and sorghum