Genetic diversity analysis for yield and other agronomic traits in bread wheat under water logged sodic soil condition

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with 108 bread wheat accessions from India and Australia to assess the genetic diversity for yield and yield traits in waterlogged sodic soils. The genotypes were grouped into eleven clusters and distribution pattern indicated that maximum number of genotypes were grouped into the cluster IV (26) followed by cluster VI (22) and cluster II (12). The inter-cluster distance in most of the cases was higher than the intra-cluster distance, indicating wider genetic diversity among the accessions of different groups. The highest inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster VIII and IX (113.94) followed by VIII and X (97.72), showing wide diversity among the groups. The highest intra-cluster distance was observed for the cluster X (13.96) and the lowest for the cluster VII (00.00). Genotypes of cluster X had highest mean value for grain yield, harvest index and spike weight. The genotypes in these clusters i.e. Perenjori, KRL 261 and KRL 283 from cluster X, and Gutha from cluster IX may be used as potential donors for hybridization programme to develop genotypes with high grain yields in waterlogged sodic soils.