Genetic diversity studies in selected elite genotypes and released varieties of Rice

An experiment was undertaken by utilizing fifty selected elite genotypes and released varieties of rice for ten yields and yield contributing characters to assess genetic divergence at Zonal Agriculture Research Station, Igatpuri, Dist. Nashik during kharif -2020. Path coefficient analysis revealed that test weight exhibited highest positive direct effect on grain yieldplant -1 and subsequently by spikelet fertility, number of panicles plant -1 , plant height, number of spikelet panicle -1 ,panicle length and days to physiological maturity. Whereas, number of fertile spikelet panicle -1 recorded the highest negative direct effect on grain yieldplant -1 . The characters viz; number of panicles plant -1 , number of spikelet panicle -1 , spikelet fertility, test weight had exerted significant positive direct effect on grain yield plant -1 and correlation of these characters with grain yield plant -1 was positively significant. Fifty genotypes were grouped into eight clusters. ClusterII was biggest and consisted of 19 genotypes followed by cluster I with 11 genotypes. The cluster III and V both were consist of 8 genotypes. All remaining clusters viz. cluster IV,