AICRP on Small Millets UAS, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065.
One hundred proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) germplasm which included 50 from erstwhile USSR and 50 from Itldia, were evaluated for variability and magnitude of genetic divergence using Mahalanobis's D2 analysis. Genetic variability ums substantial for nodal, basal and main tiller yield in both Indian and USSR accessions, while for grain yield per plant, it was high in USSR accessions and moderate in Indian germplasm. In contrast, it was high for flag leaf area in Indian and moderate in USSR accessions. For number of basal tillers, it was moderate in both groups of accessions. For rest of the characters variability was low in both the groups. The D2 analysis grouped all accessions into 8 clusters. The USSR accessions were distributed in 4 clusters and Indian in 6 clusters. The characters – days to 50 percent flowering, days to maturity, peduncle length, nodal tiller yield, basal tiller yield, main tiller yield and flag leaf area - which showed high genetic variability also contributed for genetic divergence. Geograplzical diversity was found associated with genetic diversity.
