Cluster Analysis of Diverse Rice Accessions for Grain Yield and Yield Related Traits
Karthik N *
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Dushyantha Kumar B. M
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Krishnamurthy S. L
Department of Plant Breeding, Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad, 500030, Telangana, India.
Anilkumar Lalasingh Chavan
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Sharada H. B
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Deepthi S. T
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Vikas J. B
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Hemanth M. J
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
Sanjana U. N
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Navile, KSNUAHS, Shivamogga, 577 204, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The current study focused on evaluating diverse set of rice accessions to identify genetically diverse candidates, which can serve as parents in hybridization and transgressive breeding programs aimed at developing superior pure lines with improved grain yield, based on ten yield-related traits.
Study Design: The subset of 3k Panel was evaluated in augmented design with ten blocks.
Methodology: A total of 200 rice germplasm lines belong to 3K RGP along with five checks (Swarna sub-1, Sahyadri Jalamukthi, Sahyadri Kempumukthi, Jyothi and Sahyadri Jyothi) were evaluated for ten yield and yield related traits at ZAHRS Shivamogga, Karnataka, during summer 2024 and AHRS Kathalagere, Davanagere, Karnataka during Kharif 2024. Diversity was analyzed using K means clustering.
Results: The diversity assessment of rice accessions revealed the presence of six distinct clusters in both the environments, with the highest inter-cluster distance (4.868) observed between clusters 3 and 4 in first environment, and between clusters 1 and 3 (4.670) in second environment indicating substantial genetic divergence. Accessions from these clusters could be utilized in hybridization, followed by selfing and selection, to develop improved pure lines. Notably, accessions in cluster 2 and 3 exhibited high seed yield along with superior yield related traits in first environment, and clusters 2 and 1 in second environment, making them promising candidates for hybrid breeding programs.
Conclusion: The combined evaluation across two environments clearly highlights the existence of well-organized and readily exploitable phenotypic diversity within the subset of 3K panel. The recognition of consistently superior clusters, together with environment-dependent divergent groups, offers a strong basis for cluster-oriented parent selection and for formulating focused breeding approaches aimed at developing high-yielding and environmentally resilient rice varieties.
Keywords: Diversity, clustering, rice, 3K panel