Genetic divergence among maize (Zea mays L.) inbreds and restricting traits for group constellation

Genetic divergence among thirty two maize inbred lines were studied through multivariate analyses. Genetic distance was measured following D² statistic and inbreds were grouped into fourteen distinct clusters. Intra and inter cluster distances among the groups were determined and analyzed with respect to the cluster means. Two methods, B2 and B4, reported by Jolliffe, were used for restricting the number of variables in group constellation. Ten out of 20 traits were curtailed following each of the two methods. After this D² values were recalculated and groups were reconstituted and compared with the original clusters using 20 variables. The clustering of the 32 inbreds based on D² values obtained from 10 selected characters for each of the two methods (B2 and B4) of discarding variables were different with respect to the number of clusters formed and inbred. Included in the clusters. The clustering pattern following selection of variables based on B2 method deviated considerably from the original clusters. Whereas clustering pattern based on B4 method of discarding variable was similar to the original clusters, hence seeme more appropriate and efficient in the study.