Genetic Divergence Analysis for Some Metric Traits in Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.)

Genetic divergence was studied for yield components in 46 genotypes of barley acquired from different geographical regions of India. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for different characters. Based on the genetic distances, 46 genotypes were grouped into five clusters. Distribution of genotypes into clusters revealed that geographic and genetic diversity were not related to each other. In general intercluster distances were greater than intracluster distances. None of the cluster contained genotypes with all the desirable characters. Hence, genotypes with highest mean values and large intercluster distances were identified which will serve as potential donors in future hybridization programmes for the development of high yielding varieties.