Genetic Divergence Analysis Using Yield and Quality Traits in Rice (Oryza Sativa L.)

Genetic divergence was studied for different yield and quality traits in 70 rice genotypes. These genotypes were collected from different rice eco-geographical regions of India. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for each character studied. Based on genetic distance 70 genotypes were grouped into nine different clusters. The mode of distribution of genotypes from different eco-regions into various clusters was at random indicating that geographical diversity and genetic diversity were not related. The characters like water uptake, gel consistency and head rice recovery percentage contributed maximum towards genetic diversity. The maximum inter-cluster distance was recorded between cluster VII and cluster VIII. The genotypes in these clusters may serve as potential donors for future hybridization programmes to develop potential recombinants with high yield coupled with desirable grain quality.