Genetic divergence study among the progenies of plus trees in Peltophorum pterocarpum

In the present study, twenty half-sib progenies of Peltophorum pterocarpum were collected from different geographic regions of Bihar and compared for their morphological and biomass traits. The genetic divergence study revealed that twenty PPTs yielded five and seven clusters under greenhouse and open field conditions respectively using non-hierarchical Clusters VI and VII (30.79) in open field conditions and had the greatest inter-cluster distances resulting in a broad spectrum of variability in following generations due to hybridization/crossing. Seedling biomass was the main contribution for genetic divergence under both the environments. Based on the observed diversity, Giriyak and Sathopur in Nalanda district of Bihar were found most suitable for collecting diverse germplasm lines and also for future hybridization programmes.