Genetic Diversity Studies in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Germplasm in Doon Valley

Abstract

The present research study envisages genetic variability, correlation and multivariate diversity analysis in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). 75 germplasm lines plus 5 checks (HD 2851, HD 3086, RAJ 3765, DBW-187 and PBW 343) were evaluated in an Augmented Complete Block Design. Fifteen quantitative traits were studied. ANOVA indicated significant variation among genotypes for all traits, supporting the presence of exploitable diversity. Significant Variation was observed for biological yield per plant and grain yield per plant whereas phenological traits exhibited less variation. Grain yield per plant showed significant positive correlations with biological yield, productive tillers, grains per spike and 1000-grain weight, and a significant negative correlation with days to 50% flowering. Principal component analysis retained six components explaining 64.27% of total variation. Hierarchical clustering grouped genotypes into seven clusters; the maximum inter-cluster distance occurred between clusters IV and VI (D = 4.48), indicating wide divergence. Overall, the results illustrate how variability, correlation, PCA and clustering can guide trait prioritization and parent choice in wheat breeding.