Assessment of Genetic Diversity using D2 Statistics among the Medium Maturity Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] Genotypes

The experimentation was carried out for twenty-one diverse genotypes of pigeon pea for eight quantitatively inherited traits. The genotypes were grouped into six clusters following P.C. Mahalanobis D2 statistical techniques. The cluster I consisted highest (16) genotypes and remaining five-clusters are solitary clusters. The maximum intra-cluster distance was observed for cluster I. The greater inter-cluster distance was recorded for cluster II and VI while the lower values were found for the cluster II and III. The maximum contribution towards the genetic diversity were found for seed yield followed by the 100-seed weight, secondary branches/plant and days to maturity. Hence, the genotypes ICPL-15072, WRG-327, AAUVT-13-20, PT-0904-1-1-2 and BAUPP-16-01 were found most genetically distant and superiority in yield and its attributing traits which may be used in hybridization programme to generate genetically divergent progenies to develop high yielding medium maturity Pigeon pea genotype.