Comprehending the Diversity in the regenerated set of Maize (Zea mays L.) Landraces Conserved in the Indian National genebank

The present study was undertaken made to reveal the extent of diversity in the regenerated landraces from the National Genebank, which were collected from traditional maize growing regions of India. The perpetuation of diversity in these regions is explained because of the availability of primitive cultivars, diversity in the eco-geography and presence of ethnic groups. The present set of regenerated maize landrace are cultivars of domesticated agricultural plant species which have developed over a long period of time and as a result have adapted to the local natural environment. The quantification of diverse germplasm in the present study contributes in the development of new germplasm, broadening the genetic base and also fills the gaps between available genetic resources and their utilization in maize breeding programmes. Significant variation was observed among the landraces for the eleven traits recorded. The principal component analysis revealed that first four PCs had eigen values >1 and explained up to 70 % of the variation. The multivariate hierarchical clustering resulted into three major clusters and cluster III being the largest (45 accessions) followed by cluster I (32 accessions) and cluster II (23 accessions). The study revealed that the landraces were diverse and heterogenous and were patronized by the farmers for their in- built ability to withstand the climatic challenges [e.g. wide Anthesis Silking Interval (ASI)].