PJB-2020-476
MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF POTATO GENOTYPES FOR GENETIC DIVERSITY
ARIFA KHAN
Abstract
Sustainable production of food crops relies on germplasm improvement and genetic diversity. An experiment comprising of 74 exotic genotypes was started at National Agriculture Research Center Islamabad, Pakistan, during autumn 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 to evaluate genetic diversity traits in genotypes. Results showed significant diversity in qualitative traits and quantitative traits. Red, yellowish, brown, light yellow, light brown color tubers were produced. Alike, genotypes produced yellow, cream, and white flesh color tubers. Genotypes had oval, round, oblong, elliptic, and reniform with medium, small and large size tubers. Alike, brown, light brown, dark red, and yellow eyes color was noted. In the case of quantitative traits, genotypes had high variance regarding plant height, leaf area, and Number of tubers per lane. Genotypes had a very high genetic variance for the weight of tuber per plant and weight of tuber per lane while low variance was recorded for germination, Number of stem per plant, and Number of eyes per tuber. A significant positive correlation was observed between the Number of tubers per plant (T.P.P.) with the Number of eyes on tubers (r = 0.241) and the Number of tubers per lane (T.P.L.) (r = 0.349). But negative correlation was noted between number of tubers per plant (TPP) with plant height (r = -246), leaf area (-0.529) and germination (r = -0.283). Plant height was found significantly positive correlated with leaf area (r= 0.456), germination percentage (r = 0.255) and weight of tubers per plant (r = 0.307). Leaf area (LA) showed positive significant correlation with number of tubers per plant (r = 0.466) and weight of tubers per plant (r = 0.263)., yield and harvest index (r = 0.798, 0.755, 0.255). Weight of tubers per lane (W.T.L.) showed a positive correlation with the weight of tubers per plant (r = 0.387). Regarding the interrelation between the traits and genotypes, the first two principal component axes (PC1, 24.83% and PC2, 23.46%) accounted for about 48.29% of the total variability reflecting the complexity of the variation between the plotted traits of genotypes. The present study will be useful for the precise selection of effective breeding programs.
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