1University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur-584 104, Karnataka, India
2Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Kalaburagi-585 102, Karnataka, India
3ICAR- National Bureau Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi-110 001, India
4International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad-502 324, Telangana, India
5ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur-208 001, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Corresponding Author: S. Muniswamy, Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Kalaburagi-585 102, Karnataka, India, Email: muniswamy76@uasraichur.edu.in
Genebanks serve as repositories for superior genes found within germplasm diversity. They play a crucial role as a source of desirable genes for crop improvement. The assessment and characterization of germplasm accessions remain essential, providing insights into identifying superior germplasm or potential donor for future breeding activities.
In the present study, 258 germplasm accessions of pigeonpea and three checks (PT 0012, BSMR 736 and Asha) were used and same evaluated in augmented block design during the kharif season 2022 at Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ZARS) Kalaburagi. Genetic diversity, principal component analysis and correlation studies have been done using R software version 2023.12.1.
The 261 accessions were grouped into 7 clusters, with cluster three containing the largest number of accessions (87), followed by cluster four with 61 accessions. Clusters 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 contained 54, 27, 5, 21 and 5 accessions respectively, indicating greater genetic diversity for the traits under study. Correlation analysis revealed associations between seed yield and other important traits. Principal component analysis demonstrated the relationships between various traits and their impact on variability. A concise summary of the data was provided by the first three principal components, which collectively explained 64.30% of the variation. Based on the current study, genotypes IC73883, IC73961, IC73952, IC73975 and EC843239 were found to be superior with respect to seed yield and other related traits.
Characterization of germplasm, Genetic improvement, Morphological diversity, Pigeonpea
