Phenotypic diversity in Cajanus species and identification of promising sources for agronomic traits and seed protein content

Abstract

A total of 198 accessions representing 18 species of the genus Cajanus, assembled at the ICRISAT genebank, was characterized for 27 morpho-agronomic traits at ICRISAT farm, Patancheru, India. Newman–Keuls test of significance for mean values indicated significant differences among the species for one or more traits under study. Mean diversity for all traits was maximum in C. scarabaeoides (H′ = 0.590 ± 0.010). First three principal components (PCs) captured 84.3 % of total variation among all species. Cluster analysis resulted in three clusters. C. albicans and C. mollis formed Cluster 1; C. cajanifolius, C. crassus and C. platycarpus formed Cluster 2 and C. acutifolius, C. scarabaeoides, C. lineatus and C. sericeus formed Cluster 3. C. platycarpus for extra early flowering (34–40 days); C. scarabaeoides for early flowering (51–118 days); C. albicans for broad pods; C. mollis, C. albicans, C. cinereus for more seeds per pod (>6) and C. crassus, C. cajanifolius, C. mollis, C. platycarpus and C. albicans for high seed protein (>30 %) were found as promising sources. Long duration perennial species such as C. crassus, C. mollis and C. albicans are good sources for forage. Five accessions (ICP 15661, ICP 15664, ICP 15666, ICP 15668 and ICP 15671) of C. platycarpus, two accessions (ICP 15653 and ICP 15658) of C. mollis and one accession each of C. acutifolius (ICP 15611), C. albicans (ICP 15620), C. cajanifolius (ICP 15632), C. crassus (ICP 15768), C. lineatus (ICP 15646), C. scarabaeoides (ICP 15922) and C. sericeus (ICP 15760), found as promising for multiple trait combinations are useful in pigeonpea improvement programs.