D. Sathyaraj1 and T. Sabesan
Abstract
The present investigation was undertaken to decipher the extent of diversity in 120 rice genotypes under natural stress condition during the years 2020-21 and 2021-22. Analysis of variance revealed that significant variability with respect to all the nine traits viz., days to fifty per cent flowering, plant height, number of productive tillers per plant, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, grain length, grain breadth, thousand grain weights and grain yield per plant under study. Mahala Nobis D2 values and non- hierarchical Euclidean cluster analysis categorized the genotypes under study in ten clusters. The maximum intra cluster distance was obtained in cluster VII (35.58) and farthest inter cluster distance was between clusters VI and VII (74.49). The cluster IV, VI, IX, and X exerted superior clusters mean performance. The characters viz., number of grains per panicles, plant height, days to fifty per cent flowering, grain length, grain breadth along with grain yield per plant were the major contributors for genetic divergence. Based on genetic diversity and per se mean performance of the genotypes AURC 3, AURC 4, AURC 10, GSR8, Kandakasala, IR 64 and Banshpata are more drought stress tolerant that could be used as donor parent in future drought varietal breeding programme.