Genetic divergence analysis in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] genotypes for forage and grain yield attributes

The present study was conducted with sixty diverse genotypes of sorghum in randomized block design with three replications during kharif 2018 to estimate the genetic divergence for 14 forage and grain yield traits. Based on Ward's minimum variance method (1963), sixty sorghum genotypes were grouped into 6 clusters. The number of genotypes in each cluster ranged from 1 to 17, among them cluster V was the largest with 17 genotypes and cluster II was solitary. Inter-cluster distances ranged from 72.42 to 314.88. Maximum inter cluster distance was between cluster II and III indicating genotypes included in these clusters had wide genetic diversity. The maximum intra- cluster distance was in cluster I, indicating that this cluster was more heterogeneous. The characters protein content followed by test weight, total soluble solids, plant height, grain yield per plant, leaf breadth, and number of leaves per plant contributed cumulatively 81.06% towards total genetic divergence. Based on the data on inter-cluster distances, percent contribution of traits towards genetic divergence, cluster means and per se performance of the genotypes, crossing between 11 genetically diverse genotypes viz., SU 1548, SU 1426, SU1604, SPV 96, CSV 17, SPV 2370, SU 1528, SPV 2293, SU 1477, SU 1590 and SU 1570 from different diverse clusters could exhibit better hybrid vigour in F 1 and good recombinants in segregating population with desired characters.