Genetic diversity studies in promising lowland rice varieties

Genetic diversity of 42 rain fed lowland rice varieties of different states of India were studied through Mahalanobis D2statistic.The genotypes were grouped in to 11clusters.The cluster II contained highest number of genotypes(9)followed by cluster III(7),cluster IV(7).The cluster VII to XI contained one genotype each. The intra cluster distance was highest in cluster VI(13.42),followed by cluster II(9.95),cluster I(7.13).and lowest was 0.00 from cluster VII to XI. Highest inter cluster distance was noticed in cluster VII and VI(D=40.07),followed by cluster XI and VI(D=37.020),cluster IX and VI(D=35.00)and cluster VI and III(D=33.74). The genotypes of the cluster II and VIII, cluster II and IX, and cluster VI and XI will exhibit high level of production as well as earliness. Plant height, Days to 50% flowering, 1000grain weight. together accounted for 87.11 percent to the total divergence indicating their importance in choice of parents for hybridization programme. The genotypes of these clusters should be selected for future breeding programme to enhance the yield in lowland.