Genetic diversity in the experimental material is generally measured as a very important criterion for choosing hereditarily dissimilar parents necessary for well-organized and successful hybridization programme, which in turn results in the production of high yielding lines. There is a greater likelihood of promising and desired cultivars emerging in crop species with higher genetic variability. Quantifying the degree of genetic diversity among genotypes can be most effectively accomplished with the D2 methodology, which Mahalanobis (1936) developed based on multivariate analysis. The 65 genotypes were divided into 10 clusters, with cluster IV having the highest number of genotypes (28) and clusters VI, VII and X had only single genotype. Maximum inter cluster D2 value was observed between cluster IX and cluster X. Diversity analysis concluding that geographic diversity was not associated to genetic diversity, as genotypes from the same eco-geographic origin were divided into separate clusters without creating a single cluster. Cluster VI, VII, VIII, IX and X recorded high cluster mean values for most of the yield contributing and quality characters. The trait linoleic acid content contributed maximum variation to total variation.

D2 analysis, Genetic divergence, Peanut

It is recommended that the character with highest contribution towards divergence should be given significance in selection of parents for hybridization programme. In view of the cluster distances and cluster means in the current examination, importance should be given to crosses between genotypes belonging to cluster IX and cluster X in order to get transgressive segregants. Genotypes namely, ICGV 171004 and ICGV 171002 recorded significantly very high oleic content and so, these genotypes may be used as sources for increasing of oleic acid in peanut lines in future breeding programmes.

Suresh Gali, D.L. Reddy, A. Prasanna Rajesh, K. John, P. Sudhakar and V. Srinivasa Rao (2023). Genetic Divergence analysis in Confectionery Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(11): 218-222.