Genetic Diversity and Path Analysis in Rice Germplasms (Oryza sativa L.)

The present study was based on the germplasm evaluation experiment, which involved the evaluation of 45 germplasms/lines including three checks viz. NDR-97, NDR2065 and Saraju-52. The experiment was conducted in Augmented Block Design with three replications. The field experiment was carried out in Kharif season 2022 at the Crop Research Station (CRS), Masodha and lab experiments were conducted in the Seed Testing Laboratory, Seed Technology Section, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.). The path coefficient analysis was worked out by using simple correlation among 13 characters to estimate the direct and indirect effect of different characters on grain yield per plant. The highest positive total effect (direct + indirect) on grain yield per plant was exhibited by panicle bearing tiller per plant (0.699) followed by germination % (0.360), seed viability (0.227) and vigour index – I (0.209). The highest number of genotypes appeared in the cluster – II (13), followed by cluster – III (8), cluster – IV(6), cluster – V(6), cluster – I(5), cluster – IX(5), cluster – VI(3), cluster – VII(1), and cluster – VIII(1). The maximum intra-cluster distance was observed in case of cluster – IX (64641.91) followed by cluster – V (5584.50), cluster – VI (5363.09), cluster – I (3918.44), cluster – II (3483.30), Cluster – IV (3303.54), Cluster – VII(0.00) and cluster – VII (0.00). The highest cluster mean for days to 50% flowering was recorded for Cluster-I (102.8) followed by Cluster – VII (99), cluster-V (96.66), cluster-VIII (96) cluster IX (96), Cluster III (95.75) cluster IV (95.65) cluster VI (94.67) cluster II (91.51).