The present investigation is an attempt to classify forty-six entries comprising advanced breeding lines, local and exotic collections andcultivars ofaromatic riceinto well characterized groups. Results revealed significant differences among the entries for seventeen agromorphological and quality characters under consideration in this study. With the exception of days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, panicle length and kernel elongation ratio, all characters had moderate to high estimates for genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variability. By following the method of non-hierarchical Euclidean cluster analysis, the entries could be divided into five distinct, compact and well characterized groups. The distinctness of clusters was proven by distance matrix as inter-cluster distances were greater than all the intra-cluster distances. Some of the entries showed greater diversity despite having common parentage. Further, the distribution pattern of entries was not necessarily related to geographical diversity. Analysis based on cluster means suggested the importance of plant height, number of grains per panicle, kernel length before and after cooking and volume expansion ratio for selection of parents from distantly related clusters for hybridization. The entries with exceptionally good performance were identified in five clusters for their use as base material.
Rice, Aromatic Lines, Cluster Analysis, Genetic Diversity, Grain Quality
