1Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, Kolkata-700 121, West Bengal, India
2ICAR-NBPGR Regional Station, Ranchi-834 010, Jharkhand, India
3ICAR-Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Bharatpur-321 303, Rajasthan, India
Sunnhemp, a rapid growing, high biomass yielding bast fibre crop has a tremendous potentiality in biofuels sector as a lignocellulosic substrate. In order to capitalize the new found area there is a need to identify high biomass and fibre yielding sunnhemp genotypes. The present study provides details of morphological diversity and geographical distribution pattern of Indian sunnhemp accessions.
A total of 42 germplasm accessions collected from ten different states were evaluated for fibre yield and attributing traits in April-June cropping season. Based on phenotypic data agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. Geographical coordinates of germplasm collection site were utilized to derive the spatial genetic diversity pattern for green biomass yield and fibre yield.
Phenotypic evaluation revealed significant genetic variability among the genotypes for biomass and fibre yield leading to identification of several promising accessions. Cluster analysis and PCA grouped the 42 sunnhemp accessions into three clusters. Cluster II and III are highly divergent harboring contrasting phenotypes. DIVA-GIS approach identified eastern Rajasthan, western Jharkhand and border area between Bihar and Jharkhand as sites of highest sunnhemp diversity.
Crotalaria juncea L., DIVA-GIS, Fibre yield, Green biomass, Multivariate analysis
