Genetic Divergence in Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Genetic divergence of 35 genotypes of pea (Pisum sativum L.) was assessed using Mahalanobis's D¹ statistics. These genotypes could be grouped in seven clusters. Grouping of genotypes in different clusters was not related to their geographic origin. Estimates of intra-cluster distance ranged from 0.0–8.49. It was maximum in cluster III and minimum in cluster IV. The maximum inter-cluster values 7.26 and 24.14 were obtained between cluster VI and VII. The maximum diversity was observed between cluster II and VI which suggested that the genotypes of these two clusters are genetically very close. The over all picture indicated that the cluster I, II, III, IV and VI were quite divergent from the rest of the clusters also from one another. Selecting genotypes from such divergent groups for breeding programme/hybridization is likely to yield high heterotic response and release better segregants in subsequent generations.