An Investigation into the Nature and Magnitude of Genetic Diversity for Anaerobic Germination Traits in Rice using Principal Component Analysis

Author: C. Vijay Kumar Reddy, B. Pradhan, A. Anandan, Manasi Dash, K.C. Samal and R.K. Panda

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Abstract

Anaerobic germination (AG) is a major limiting factor for the successful adoption of direct seeding in rice cultivation. Anaerobic germination in rice poses challenges such as lack of oxygen, toxicity, disease, and limited nutrient availability, but rice plants have adapted specialized mechanisms to overcome them. The development of rice cultivars tolerant to AG and early seedling vigor is an important objective under direct seeding. Multivariate analysis tools such as principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis are effective for evaluating phenotypic diversity and identifying genetically distant clusters of genotypes. This study aimed to estimate the genetic diversity of anaerobic germination traits in rice using PCA. A total of 103 rice genotypes were evaluated for eight anaerobic germination traits. The PCA results revealed four principal components that accounted for 83.63% of the total variation. The first principal component (PC1) explained 32.62% of the total variation and was positively correlated with germination percentage, seedling vigour index, shoot length and length of first internode. The second principal component (PC2) explained 20.29% of the total variation and was positively correlated with shoot length, root length, and number of leaves. The third principal component (PC3) explained 17.56% of the total variation and was positively correlated with shoot length, length of first Internode, root length, number of leaves, shoot dry weight, root dry weight. The fourth principal component (PC4) explained 13.16% of the total variation and was positively correlated with shoot length and length of first internode. The PCA analysis provided valuable information on the genetic diversity of anaerobic germination traits in rice and can aid in the selection of parental genotypes for breeding programs aimed at developing rice varieties tolerant to anaerobic germination (AG).

Keywords

Anaerobic germination, principal component, eigen values

Conclusion

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a powerful technique for analysing complex datasets related to anaerobic germination tolerance. By identifying patterns and relationships among the variables involved in the germination process, PCA can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of anaerobic germination and help to develop effective strategies for improving crop yields under low-oxygen conditions. Some key findings that have emerged from studies using PCA to analyse anaerobic germination tolerance include the identification of specific genetic traits that are associated with tolerance, such as germination percentage, length of first internode, shoot length and root length. Overall, PCA has proven to be an essential tool for understanding the complex interactions that influence anaerobic germination tolerance, and its use is likely to continue to drive advances in crop breeding and agricultural practices in the future.

References

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How to cite this article

C. Vijay Kumar Reddy, B. Pradhan, A. Anandan, Manasi Dash, K.C. Samal and R.K. Panda (2022). An Investigation into the Nature and Magnitude of Genetic Diversity for Anaerobic Germination Traits in Rice using Principal Component Analysis. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4): 1309-1314.