Genetic diversity for morphophysiological character studies in rainfed sorghum (Sorghum bicolor[L.] Moench) parental lines

The experimental trial was conducted at Sorghum Research Centre, Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani during kharif 2021 in randomized design with 3 replications. Eighteen parental (B & R) lines were evaluated to study genetic diversities and variability for fifteen yield contributing characters. Among all the eighteen genotypes of parental lines significant differences were observed for yield and its yield contributing traits except total chlorophyll content. Coefficient of variance at phenotypic level showed higher values than at genotypic level among all traits. Coefficient of variance for the traits like chlorophyll stability index (G=23.035, P=23.714), leaf area (G=21.064, P=21.673), 1000 grain weight (G=28.845, P=29.929), fodder yield (G=21.858, P=22.458), grain number per panicle (G=29.564, P=30.158), leaf dry weight (G=29.044, P=29.903) was observed high at both level. Traits like plant height (H=90, GAM=21.041), grain yield (H=86, GAM=29.074), leaf dry weight (H=94, GAM=23.664), leaf area (H=94, GAM=42.17), chlorophyll stability index (H=94, GAM=46.093), grain number per panicle (H=96, GAM=59.703), fodder yield (H=94, GAM=43.823),1000 grain weight (H=92, GAM=52.270) and harvest index (H=84, GAM=32.321) were recorded high heritability with high genetic advancement. Genotype AKR 504, NR 39-15, KR 218, KR 219, PMS 100B, AKMS 90 B and INDORE 12 showed the better performance for all characters thus, should be used for development of hybrids and inbreds in breeding programmes by DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability) testing.