1Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai-625104, Tamil Nadu
2International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana, 502324, India
3Department of Forage Crops, Centre for Plant breeding and Genetics, TNAU, Coimbatore-641003
4Department of Human development and Family Studies, Community Science College and Research Institute, Madurai, 625104
*E-Mail: vanniarajan.c@tnau.ac.in
Online published on 2 July, 2019.
Thirty barnyard millet germplasm along with a MDU 1 check variety were characterized for 15 qualitative traits. The characters like growth habit, plant pigmentation, inflorescence color, inflorescence shape, compactness of inflorescence, shape of lower raceme, blade pubescence and grain color showed greater frequency of variants. There were no variants found for traits like branching of lower raceme, senescence and grain shape. The cluster analysis of these 30 accessions using Un weighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) led to the grouping of accessions under 11 clusters. Cluster I was the largest cluster with 6 accessions followed by cluster V and VI with 4 each, cluster IV and VIII with 3, clusters II, VII, IX and X with 2 accessions each and Clusters III and XI with one accession each. The genotypes between the clusters are more diverse and hence they could be identified and utilized in future breeding programme.
Qualitative characterization, barnyard millet
