DIVERGENCE STUDY OF WHITE JUTE

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted with 42 genotypes of white jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) at the Jute Agriculture Experimentation Station, Jagir, Manikganj. Genetic divergence was estimated on the basis of thirteen diiThren characters. Significant genotypic ditierences were observed for most of the characters studied. Multivariate techniques were used to classi' 42 white jute genotypes, which computed by Mahalanobis's D2 statistics. All the genotypes were grouped into six different clusters. Principal component analysis, principal coordinate analysis. canonical variate analysis and cluster analysis gave similar results. Cluster V had the maximum of eleven genotypes while cluster II had the minimum of three genotypes. The highest inter-genotypic distance was found between 036 and 039 and the lowest distance between 04 and G23.The highest inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters I and II. and the lowest inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters I and VI. The highest intra-cluster distance was found in cluster I and the lowest in cluster II. Genotypes of cluster II had the highest values for base diameter. middle diameter. top diameter, core diameter, dry libre weight and dry stick weight and that of cluster V had the highest values for technical height. leaf angle, leaf length and petiole length. Yield and yield contributing characters such as technical height. base diameter, dry fibre weight and dry stick weight contributed more towards genetic divergence considering diversity pattern. The clustering pattern indicated that geographic diversity was not a reliable guide to genetic diversity. Considering genetic diversity and other agronomic performances the genotypes 028 and 035 from cluster I: 07. 020. 022. 025. 030. 039 and 041 front cluster IV: 08. 019 and 024 from cluster V might be considered as suitable parents tbr Future hybridization programme.