PATH COEFFICIENTS AND GENETIC DIVERSITY IN BUTTERFLY PEA (Clitoria tematea L.) ACCESSIONS

摘要

The clustering of accessions based on genetic divergence provides the basis for selection of suitable parents to be used in hybridization programme. In view of meager information available on this aspect in Clitoria ternatea, the present study was undertaken using path analysis and multivariate statistical technique. Ninety - two diverse accessions of Clitoria tematea were studied in a randomized block design with 3 replications. Each treatment was grown in one row of 4 m length with inter and intra-row spacing of 45 cm and 20 cm, respectively. Observations were recorded on 5 competitive plants for 10 quantitative traits, viz, days to flowering, plant height (cm), branch number per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, branch length (cm), number of leaves per plant, leaf/stem ratio, green fodder yield per plant (g), dry matter yield per plant (g) and crude protein (%).