The nature and extent of genetic diversity were assessed among 57 pigeonpea accessions comprising release varieties, farmer varieties and reference varieties. All the accessions were grouped into eight different non-overlapping clusters. Among them cluster I, having 17 accessions, emerged with highest number of entries followed by cluster V with 9 accessions, cluster III with 7 accessions, cluster IV with 6 accessions, cluster VI, VII and VIII constituted by 5 accessions each while cluster II, comprised 3 accessions, had least number of entries. The highest contribution in manifestation of genetic divergence was exhibited by 100-seed weight followed by days to maturity, plant height and days to 50% flowering. The hybridization between entries belonging to cluster pairs having large intercluster distance and possessing high cluster means for one or other characters to be improved may be recommended for isolating desirable recombinants in segregating generations. In this context highest inter-cluster distance was recorded between cluster V and VII followed by cluster IV and VI, IV and VII, III and VII while cluster I and III had lowest inter-cluster distance. The promising accessions identified were Bumba Tumur, BDN-2, Chaita Arhar, BSMR-736, Karanja Tuar, Dehati Arhar Lal and Belianga of cluster III; UPAS- 120, Paras, Manak, Dehati Arhar-2, Pusa-992 and Vamban-1 of cluster IV, Ram Arhar, HJP-7, Agahani, Manika Arhar and HJP-9 of cluster VI and NTH-77, Lal Rahri, Desi Arhar-1, Arhar Manpur Pahadi and Rehhe Arhar of cluster VII for exploitation in hybridization programme for development of superior pigeonpea cultivars. | Assessment of genetic diversity for polygenic traits in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh]
