Diversity of wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes deciphered by biplot analysis

Abstract

Diversity of hundred and seventy six wheat genotypes had been studied as per fifteen relevant morphological traits in research farm of Haryana Agricultural University during cropping season 2016-17. Maximum range was observed for flag leaf area followed by number of grains per ear and plant height. The least deviation also expressed by flag leaf breadth trait. The phenotypic diversity were estimated by the Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’), by bifurcating set of genotypes in five classes, revealed maximum values for days to heading (cluster 2), number of tillers per plant (cluster 3), flag leaf length (cluster 2), flag leaf breadth (cluster 2), flag leaf area (cluster 4), plant height (cluster 5), ear length (cluster 2), ear weight (cluster 4), number of grains per ear (cluster 4), weight of grain per ear (cluster 2), number of spikelet per ear (cluster 2), thousand grains weight (cluster 4), Grain yield per plant (cluster 2), biological yield per plant (cluster 2) and Harvest Index (cluster 2). Simpson’s index (1/D) varied from 0.44 for biological yield to 0.54 for flag leaf breadth followed by ear weight. Association analysis among traits exhibited significant positive correlation of grain yield observed with number of tillers per plant, thousand grains weight and biological yield expressed high degree of linear association with grain yield per plant, number of tillers per plant, thousand grains weight, ear weight and weight of grains per ear. Harvest Index maintained positive and negative correlation with other traits though magnitudes were of small values. Biplot analysis had seen strong bondage of grain yield per plant with number of tillers per plant and biological yield per plant as well as of flag leaf length with thousand grains weight evident from group 1 as acute angles had exhibited by traits rays. Weight of grains per ear along with ear weight expressed strong relationship with number of spikelet per ear, number of grains per ear whereas similar behavior evident from plant height & flag leaf area as evident by acute angles among corresponding rays. Darwin software exploited to import the dissimilarity matrix for multivariate hierarchical clustering of genotypes. Two broad categories had seen which further partitioned into five and six sub groups as evident from respective nodes.