Genetic Divergence in Safflower (Carthamus Tinctorius L.)

Genetic diversity in a population o.f 60 representative genotypes of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), assessed using Mahalanobis's D² value, indicated considerable diversity in the material studied. Plant height, seed yield, branching height and 1000-seed weight contributed considerably, accounting for 80% of total divergence. The results obtained by D² analysis were confirmed by canonical analysis. Using multivariate analysis, the 60 genotypes were divided in 14 clusters. The pattern of distribution of genotypes from different geographical regions into various clusters was random, demonstrating that geographical isolation may not be the only factor causing genetic diversity.