*Department of Statistics, College of Agriculture, Dhule-424 004 (MS), India
Department of Agricultural Botany, College of Agriculture, Dhule
Online published on 17 March, 2015.
An experiment was undertaken by utilizing forty niger genotypes for ten yield and yield contributing characters to assess genetic variability and genetic divergence. Significant population differences existed among the genotype for all characters studied. High value of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), heritability and genetic advance (as per percent mean) indicated scope for improvement in number of seeds per capitula, seed yield per plant, number of capitula per plant and number of branches per plant. There was predominance of additive gene action. The multivariate analysis carried out using Mahalanobis D2 statistics, indicated wider genetic diversity in the genotypes of Niger from different geographical origins of India. Out of seven cluster formed, cluster I was largest with twenty three genotypes, followed by cluster II with six genotypes, cluster III and V with four genotypes, and cluster IV, VI and VII were monogenotypic. The clustering pattern indicated absence of relationship between genetic diversity and geographical origin of the genotypes. Based on inter cluster distance and perse performance of genotypes, GA-10, IGPN-08-66, IGPN-8007, IGPN-08-16, Birsa niger-3, DNC-22, Birsa niger-1, JNS-165, NSH-5631, IGPN-9001, and JNS-164, Utakal niger-150, JNS-204 and BAU-1 0–5 were found diverse. Among the ten characters studied, number of seed per capitula contributed highest towards genetic divergence (27.95%) followed by days to 50% flowering (14.10%), oil content (12.56%), 1000 seed weight (12.44%), and lowest by plant height (0.64%).
Genetic Variability, Genetic diversity, niger, D2 values
