Analysis of Genetic Diversity Using Morphological Markers in 30 Landraces of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) belongs to family Poaceae and chromosome number 2n = 2x = 24. Rice is a major staple food crop in the world. The 90% of the rice is grown and consumed in south and southeast Asia. Genetic divergence is an efficient tool for the selection of parents used in hybridization programme. In the present study thirty landraces of rice were subjected to diversity analysis using morphological markers for the identification of diverse genotypes. This analysis was carried out during kharif season of 2021 at the Genetics and Plant Breeding Farm, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University. Based on clustering pattern, 30 landraces of rice were grouped into 5 clusters. The intra cluster distance was maximum at cluster II and inter-cluster distance, indicated greater divergence between cluster IV and cluster V followed by cluster III and IV and cluster II and V indicating greater genetic divergence and these genotypes may be utilized in further breeding programme for the exploitation of hybrid vigour. Among the five clusters studied the cluster I, II and IV were recorded by high mean values for grain yield per plant than general mean. The relative contribution of individual characters towards the expression of genetic diversity estimated over character wise D2 value revealed that with 58.40 per cent contribution for days to 50 per cent flowering, 12.91 per cent contribution of grains yield per plant, 8.50 per cent of number of grains per panicle and with 9.90 per cent from 1000 grain seed weight were the major traits contributing to the total divergence and may be utilized as parameters for selecting genetically diverse parents.

G. S. Shai Prasanna1, J. L. Joshi*2 and Ajish Muraleedharan3 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 17-May-2023