Genetic Diversity Studies Using Principal Component Analysis in Finger Millet (Eleusine Coracana (l.) Gaertn.)

Abstract

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.) is a resilient and nutrient-dense small millet grown in semi-arid regions of India and Africa, where it plays a key role in food and nutritional security. Genetic variability assessment is essential for identifying promising parents and accelerating breeding progress. The present study evaluated 55 genetic accessions of finger millet for 15 agro-morphological characters using principal component analysis (PCA) to quantify diversity and identify traits contributing to variation. The experiment was conducted during kharif, 2023 at the Hill Millet Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Waghai, Vanarasi, Navsari and Dediyapada locations, Gujarat, in a randomized block design with three replications. PCA revealed that the first six principal components exhibited eigenvalues greater than unity and together explained a substantial proportion of the total variability among the accessions. PC1 accounted for the highest share of variance, mainly influenced by phenological and vegetative traits such as days to 50% flowering, plant height, basal tillers, and leaf area. PC2 was associated with yield-contributing traits including flag leaf dimensions, peduncle length, and ear characteristics. Subsequent components reflected variation in grain and ear head traits. The findings highlight the existence of considerable diversity among the accessions and confirm the utility of PCA in identifying key traits for genetic divergence. Accessions with superior scores in the first two components represent valuable genetic resources for use in breeding programmes targeting yield improvement and nutritional quality in finger millet.