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Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-517 502.
To discriminate maize inbred lines based on yield traits using D2 statistics and principal component analysis (PCA), sixty four genotypes available at Department of Genetics and Plant breeding, Agriculture Research Station, Peddapuram, Andhra Pradesh were tested during Rabi, 2023-24 under irrigation condition in Alpha lattice design with two replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences for 14 characters studied among the genotypes. The D2 statistics displayed that cluster II, being largest group, comprises 37 maize genotypes followed by cluster I (15), III (10), IV (1) and V (1). The maximum intra- cluster distance was obtained for cluster I (99.05) while cluster IV and V showed null values as they were monogenetic clusters. Furthermore, maximum inter-cluster distance was recorded between cluster V and IV (2342.19) followed by clusters I and IV (2038.71) and clusters V and III (1391.95). D2 statistics and principal component analysis (PCA) emphasized that days to 50 per cent anthesis, plant height, ear height, 100- kernel weight, shelling percentage, number of kernels row⁻¹, and number of kernel rows ear⁻¹ and kernel yield plant⁻¹ were major contributing traits for total genetic diversity. Research results indicated that the inbreds under study are highly diversified and hence, high heterotic hybrids would be resulted through the crossing of diverse lines clubbed under different clusters as parent in any breeding programme aimed to enhance grain yield.
KEYWORDS: Genetic diversity, Inbred lines, D2 stastic, Yield traits, Principal component analysis.