Characterisation of buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) diversity of the northwestern Himalayas

ABSTRACT Content. Knowledge about genetic variability parameters is imperative for improving crop plants for traits of economic importance. This paper reports the characterisation of a large germplasm set of an underutilised pseudocereal Buckwheat endemic to northwestern Himalayas in order to elucidate the nature of variability as well as identify trait specific genotypes for use in buckwheat breeding programmes. Aim. The major aim was to estimate the genetic variability of yield and related traits in diverse germplasm lines of buckwheat collected from different regions of the north-western Himalayas. Methods. The material was evaluated in a randomised complete block design with five replications at two different locations in SKUAST-K, Shuhama and MAR & ES Izmarg, Gurez, during the years 2020 and 2021. For assessing diversity patterns, the clustering of the germplasm from both locations was done by Tocher’s method. Key results. The results indicated significant variability in the buckwheat germplasm for all morphological traits across locations. The phenotypic cofficient of variation and genotypic coefficients of variation (PCV, GCV), broad sense heritability and genetic advance values varied between locations. Pooled across locations, the highest PCV values were recorded for number of primary branches. Heritability ranged from low for number of secondary branches to medium for days to 50% flowering. Conclusion. The present study provided valuable insights about the variability and trait diversity in buckwheat germplasm under Northwestern Himalayan conditions. Implications. The information on variability parameters can be harnessed to develop an effective breeding strategy for improving buckwheat for traits of economic interest.