Genetic Divergence Studies in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Germplasm

A field test were carried out on divergence studies against fourty nine groundnut genotypes during Kharif season, 2014–15 at Research farm of Agriculture College Navile, Shivamogga The genotypes were grouped into fourteen clusters. Cluster I contained the highest number of genotypes (21) and lowest number in clusters II, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII and XIII were solitary with one genotype per cluster. The inter-cluster distances in all cases were larger than the intra-cluster distance which indicated that wider diversity is present among the genotypes of distant grouped. The highest intra cluster distance was observed in cluster IV and lowest in cluster I, The highest inter cluster distance was observed between cluster VI and XII followed by cluster between III and VI, the minimum distance observed between cluster V and VII followed by between clusters VII and X. Pod yield per plant, days to 50 per cent flowering, 100 kernel weight, kernel weight per plant, number of pod bearing nodes were the most important contributors. But the highest cluster means for total number of kernels per plant, number of pod bearing nodes, number of matured pods per plant, karnel weight per plant and pod yield per plant was obtained from the cluster XIV. With moderate yield but early maturity varieties were found in cluster XII.