Divergence Analysis in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

Hitesh Kumar, Gaurav Khosla and P.K Sharma

Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding,
Choudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut-250004, (U.P)
E-mail: hiteshkmr25@gmail.com

Abstract: Genetic divergence was studied using Mahalanobis D2 statistics in a set of 100
wheat genotypes using 12 quantitative traits. On the basis of which, these genotypes were
grouped into 11 clusters. Inter-cluster distances ranged from 22.82 (cluster III and IV) to
63.48 (cluster VI and XI).and were more than intra-cluster distances which ranged from 0
(cluster VII and XI) to 21.61 (cluster VI). Based on degree of inter-cluster distances,
clusters II, V, VI, VII, IX, and X were regarded as diverse clusters, however, the
maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters VI and XI followed by
clusters VI and IX. This indicates that the genotypes included in these clusters have wide
genetic diversity and could be used in hybridization programme which may be aimed at
either combination breeding or at exploitation of heterosis. Hybridization between
genotypes of clusters II, VI, V, VII, IX and X might yield desirable segregants. Traits like
biological yield, plant height and grain number per spike had high contribution towards
genetic divergence, hence these traits are major determinants of genetic diversity in the
present set of genotypes.

Key words: Cluster analysis, Genetic divergence, Mahalanobis D2 statistics, Wheat,

Hybridization.

The evaluation of germplasm diversity is of central importance for better

utilization of available genetic diversity in any breeding programme. The genetic

variability is the basic pre-requisite for crop improvement and its significance has been

recognized for selection of desirable parents in breeding programme to obtain high

heterotic response and transgressive segregants used for maximizing the economic yield

in wheat (Cox and Murphy, 1990; Sharma et al., 1998; Deshmukh et al., 1999; Bergale et

al., 2001 and Goel et al., 2005). Genetic divergence analysis quantifies the genetical

distance among the selected genotypes and reflects the relative contribution of specific

traits towards the total divergence (Iftekharruddaula et al., 2002). The clustering based on

genetic diversity helps in selection of better parental lines for selection of better cross
combinations and broadens the genetic base of breeding programme. Mahalanobis D2

technique is a unique tool for identifying the degree of genetic divergence in a biological

population. The present investigation was therefore, undertaken to study the magnitude of

genetic divergence using Mahalanobis D2 statistics among 100 wheat genotypes and

contribution of different characters to genetic divergence.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The material for the present study comprised of 100 wheat genotypes of Indian

and exotic origin along with four check varieties viz., UP 2425, PBW 343, PBW 435 and

HD 2687. Indian accessions were collected from different parts of India. The experiment

was planned in an augmented design (Federer, 1956) at Department of Genetics and Plant

Breeding, Choudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut (UP). Each block was assigned

10 test genotypes selected at random and four check varieties. Each entry was sown in a

single row of 2.5 m keeping row to row distance 30 cm. All the recommended package of

practices for wheat in the region were followed to raise a healthy crop. A random sample

of five plants from each genotype was used to compute means on twelve characters viz.,

days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, spike length, spikelets per spike, tiller

number per plant, grain number per spike, grain weight per spike, grain weight per plant,

biological yield, harvest index and 100-grain weight.

Data were subjected to analysis of variance as per augmented block design.

Means of all the 100 test genotypes for all the 12 characters were adjusted for respective

block effect and then used for genetic divergence analysis through hierarchical cluster

analysis. The genetic distances among the genotypes were computed by means of

Mahalanobis D2 technique (Mahalanobis, 1936). Grouping of genotypes in to clusters and

contribution of each character towards divergence was carried out following Tocher’s

method (Rao, 1952). In all the combinations of intercluster distances, each character is

ranked on the basis of intercluster distance. Rank one is given to character having highest

mean difference and rank ‘n’ to the character having lowest mean difference, where ‘n’ is

number of characters studied. Per cent contribution of each character is calculated on the

basis of occurrence of these ranks. Statistical analysis was done using WINDOWSTAT

package on computer.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Genetic divergence among 100 genotypes based on twelve morphological

characters was worked out. On the basis of D2 values, the 100 genotypes were grouped

into eleven clusters (Table 1). Perusal of table showed that cluster VII and XI had one

genotype each whereas cluster VIII comprised 26 (maximum) genotypes followed by

cluster III with 20 genotypes, cluster IV with 13 genotypes and cluster I with 12

genotypes.

The average intra and inter-cluster distances are given in Table 2. The inter-

cluster distances ranged from 22.82 between cluster III and IV to 63.48 between cluster

VI and XI while intra-cluster distance ranged from 0.00 (cluster VII and XI) to 21.61

(cluster II). This indicated that genotypes are more heterogeneous between clusters than

those within clusters. Thus selection of parents from within a cluster may not be

considered promising for the development of good segregants through hybridization

programme. The lowest inter-cluster genetic distance was observed between cluster III

and V (22.00), followed in increasing order between cluster VIII and X (22.02) and

cluster III and IV (22.82). The highest inter-cluster genetic distance was observed
between cluster VI and XI (63.47) closely followed by cluster VI and IX (51.10), cluster

VII and XI (50.93), and cluster II and XI (49.85). The two clusters which showed intra-

cluster values of 0.00 had only one genotype each and those which showed highest inter

cluster values contained minimum number of genotypes.

The diversity in the present material was also supported by the appreciable

amount of variation among cluster means for different clusters. In the present study

(Table 3), cluster II was characterized by maximum number of spikelets per spike, grain

number per spike and grain weight per spike. Cluster X had highest mean value for tiller

number and grain weight and lowest value for days to flowering. Cluster VI recorded

lowest plant height and highest spike length. Cluster IX had maximum biological yield,

100-grain weight but least value for harvest index. Observations from cluster means

suggested that none of the clusters contain genotypes with all the desirable traits, which

could be directly selected and utilized. Moreover, maximum and minimum cluster means

for many characters were distributed in relatively distant clusters. Thus, hybridization

between genotypes of different clusters is necessary for the development of the desirable

genotype. Recombination breeding between genotypes of different clusters has also been

suggested by Sinha et al. (1991) and Bose and Pradhan (2005).

The selection and choice of parents mainly depends on the contribution of

characters towards divergence (Nayak et al, 2004). In the present study (Table 3),

biological yield recorded the maximum contribution (32.23%) towards divergence

followed by plant height (20.48%) and grain number per spike (19.22%). Harvest index

(10.28%) and days to maturity (4.69%) had moderate contribution whereas all the other

characters had very little contribution towards divergence.

 Higher the genetic distance between the clusters, wider is the genetic diversity

between genotypes. The combination of parents in hybridization is determined by mean

performance, genetic distance and clustering pattern. Based on the genetic divergence

and superiority with respect to any of the trait(s), the selected genotypes are presented in

Table 4. The genotypes with respect to their identified trait(s) viz., MUM-53 (days to

flowering, 81), CMH-II (spikelets / spike, 25) , CPAN-4011 (grain number / spike, 80),

HD-812 (grain weight / spike, 3.92 g ), DL-788-2 (tiller number, 14), VL-738 (grain

weight / plant, 28.53 g ), DL-575 (biological yield / plant, 75g ), RAJ-1575 (harvest

index, 0.52), HW-1081 (plant height, 56.14 cm), and PBW-118 (spike length, 14.12 cm)

from diverse clusters were found promising. These genotypes can help in combining

higher yield with desirable traits and production of desirable transgressive segregants.

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 Table 1. Cluster composition of different wheat genotypes
Cluster No. No. of genotype Genotypes
I 12 K-9107, COL-I-DAD, HD-2667, JWS-17, PBW-118, CPAN-
2663, BECANARE-7-88, CPAN-4011, CDWR-5529, PH-132,
HD2329, BOLAL-IN
II 6 I-348, UP-2338, HD-812, CPAN-6143, CPAN-1910, A-9-301
III 20 CPAN-2059, CDWR-9540, CDWR-9526, SANGUM -3004,
HD-388, MUM-44, SILVER-15, MUW-107, CDWR-9528,
HD2189, DL-788-2, CPAN-3094, PBW-65, CDWR-9597, PBW-
325, SFL-III-50, RAJ-2184, CDWR-9567, CMH-II,
WL-711-LR-29
IV 13 CPAN-3026, CPAN-110, HI-8177, K-1843, CPAN-4061, MUW-
118, RAJ-3688, VL-687, K-9305, CMH-II, CMH-77-915,
CMH-74, CDWR-9597
V 7 CDWR-9597, LALBAHADUR, CPAN-136, RAJ-3716, CPAN-
1861, CPAN-4159, MUM-404
VI 2 MUW-116, HW-1081
VII 1 MUM-53
VIII 26 VL-738, MALVYA, K-9367, RAJ-1575, PD-179, BANJULLA,
UP-262, K-9391, MACS-1967, CPAN-6079, CPAN-4066, CPAN-
3138, CPAN-2096, UP-2358, CPAN-196, PAWAN-5, MUW-45,
DWL-5023, CPAN-3073, CS-10-113, CDWR-9535, CPAN-2085,
WH-556, NI-866, HD-114, AKS-740
IX 3 SUGU-20, RAJ-3882, DL-575
X 9 TR-211, CDWR-3518, I-38, CPAN-4062, K-9011, ISP-8, G-244,
PBW-218, RAJ SELECTION
XI 1 INFECTER
 Table 2. Average intra-cluster (diagonal) and inter-cluster distances in wheat genotypes

Cluster I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI

I 21.30 26.46 27.86 25.80 28.90 46.02 44.44 27.80 36.64 34.51 39.16
II 21.61 32.01 36.05 36.86 44.28 46.32 24.69 35.85 33.17 49.85
III 14.49 22.82 22.00 27.86 32.80 23.57 38.18 27.95 42.37
IV 14.20 22.79 38.78 35.71 27.88 34.64 30.11 31.56
V 17.61 37.90 41.31 33.11 47.72 37.14 40.09
VI 20.10 35.70 35.10 51.10 39.34 63.48
VII 0.00 35.38 42.10 36.05 50.93
VIII 16.57 27.50 22.02 43.21
IX 12.29 24.06 37.92
X 17.38 38.36
XI 0.00
 Table 3. Mean performance of different clusters for yield and yield attributing traits of wheat genotypes
Cluster No. Days to Days to Plant Spike Spikelets Tiller Grain Grain Grain Biologi- Harvest 100
Flowering maturity height length /spike no no / weight weight / cal yield index grain
(cm) (cm) spike /Spike plant (g) weight
(g) (g)
1 cluster 94.97 137 90.34 11.71 21.80 8.85 65.74 2.38 13.88 40.65 0.34 3.61
2 cluster 95.36 136 86.35 9.88 22.31 10.12 71.43 3.30 19.44 55.47 0.35 3.97
3 cluster 93.35 135 81.17 10.94 20.75 10.41 46.84 2.13 16.91 45.75 0.36 4.03
4 cluster 93.64 135 92.49 11.08 19.81 9.38 46.32 2.03 12.91 38.36 0.34 3.86
5 cluster 93.73 135 80.97 10.51 20.46 9.39 50.34 2.28 15.61 33.77 0.45 3.46
6 cluster 90.70 136 64.46 13.09 19.65 11.12 38.72 2.08 18.64 57.92 0.33 4.62
7 cluster 80.95 160 85.60 9.99 18.02 9.25 37.47 1.62 17.13 54.65 0.31 3.84
8 cluster 94.35 137 89.56 11.89 21.51 11.52 55.29 2.49 21.22 58.25 0.34 3.84
9 cluster 95.28 135 110.26 9.50 19.86 10.41 52.64 2.38 17.18 62.78 0.25 4.69
10 cluster 93.25 135 98.59 12.05 20.36 12.36 47.56 2.39 22.23 61.34 0.39 3.94
11 cluster 95.95 138 119.29 10.58 17.27 8.25 47.72 2.19 16.16 32.89 0.44 2.76
Contribution
% 2.59 4.69 20.48 3.50 1.16 2.02 19.22 1.75 1.08 32.23 10.28 1.00
Table 4. Promising genotypes selected from diverse clusters

S. No Cluster No. Genotypes and Desirable characters and mean values in parenthesis
1 II CMH-II (Spikelets / spike, 25) , CPAN-4011 (Grain no / spike, 80), HD-812 (Grain weight / Spike, 3.92 g )
2. V RAJ-1575 (Harvest index, 0.52)
3. VI HW-1081 ( Plant height, 56.14 cm), PBW-118 (Spike length, 14.12 cm)
4. VII MUM-53 (Days to flowering, 81)
5. IX DL-575 (Biological yield, 75 g )
6. X DL-788-2 (Tiller number, 14), VL-738 (Grain weight / plant, 28.53 g )