EVALUATION OF GENETIC DIVERGENCE IN INDIAN FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM L.)

Abstract

An experiment with fourty eight genotypes of flax carried out to study the nature and magnitude of divergence
using Mahalanobis D 2 statistics, in randomized block design with three replication. The data for ten important
quantitative traits recorded from the genotypes raised. The variability study indicated high to moderate phenotypic
and genotypic coefficient of variation accompanied by high heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean
for traits, days to 50 per cent flowering, plant height and number of capsules per plant. The major character seed
yield per plant possesses high heritability with high genetic advance, indicating their importance in selection for
yield improvement. The 48 genotypes of flax were grouped into five clusters using Tocher’s method. Cluster IV
comprising is the most divergent cluster.The genotypes in cluster III and cluster V, exhibited high degree of genetic
diversity. Cluster III was suitable for seed yield per plant, number of capsules per plant, number of primary
branches per plant and number of secondary branches per plant. Days to 50 per cent flowering and oil content
contributed maximum towards genetic divergence.