Multivariate analysis in relation to breeding system in opium popy, Papaver somniferum L.

Abstract

The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) is an important medicinal plant of great pharmacopoel uses. 101 germplasm lines of different eco-geographical origin maintained at National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow were evaluated to study the genetic divergence for seed yield/plant, opium yield/plant and its 8 component traits following multivariate and canonical analysis. The genotypes were grouped in 13 clusters and confirmed by canonical analysis. Sixty eight percent genotypes (69/101) were genetically close to each other and grouped in 6 clusters (II, III, IV, V, VIII, XII) while apparent diversity was noticed for 32 percent (32/101) of the genotypes who diversed into rest 7 clusters (I, VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XIII). Inter cluster distance ranged from 47.28 to 234.55. The maximum was between IX and X followed by VII and IX (208.30) and IX and XI (205.53). The genotypes in cluster IX, X. XI, and XII had greater potential as breeding stock by virtue of high mean values of one or more component characters and high statistical distance among them. Based on findings of high cluster mean of component trait and inter-cluster distance among clusters, a breeding plan has been discussed.