Studies on Genetic Diversity for Yield, Growth and Quality Traits in Sweet Potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.]

The experiment was conducted at main Experimental Station of Department of Vegetable Science, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar, Kumarganj, Faizabad. During October 2013 to February 2014, to assess variability, heritability and genetic advance for quantitative characters, estimate correlation coefficients among the important economic traits and to find out the direct and indirect effect of yield components, yield by path coefficient analysis and genetic divergence. Experiment at material for the study consisted of 33 genotypes including two checks (NDSP-10, NDSP-65). The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Observations were recorded on thirteen quantitative characters. A total of 33 genotypes was grouped in to 5 clusters. The highest numbers of entries were present in cluster I which contained 20 genotypes followed by cluster II which carried 10 genotypes. Other clusters such as III, IV and V recorded minimum contained one genotype each in cluster. The maximum intra-cluster distance was recorded for cluster II (95.07) followed by cluster I (53.91), cluster III, No intra-cluster distance was recorded IV and V since the value was recorded zero in these cluster. The maximum inter cluster distance was found by cluster I with V (353.16) which suggested that member of these genotypes are genetically very diverse to each other. The minimum inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters I with II (99.45). Highest per cent contribution towards total genetic divergence was exhibited by length of vine (26.33%), followed by branches per vine (19.89%), internodal length (17.61%) average weight of tuber (10.80), width of leaves (9.47%), leaves per vine (5.87), length of leaves (5.68%), girth of tuber (1.89%), yield per hectare (0.95%), yield per plant (0.57%), tuber per vine and days to bud initiation is not having any contribution. Thus, there exists ample variation and as a result scope of improvement after selection in the available germplasm of sweet potato.