Principal component analysis for yield and its attributing characters of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R.Br.)

An experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Navgaon (Alwar) during kharif season of 2019 to study the genetic divergence among 31 genotypes of pearl millet based on quantitative data of grain yield and its nine component traits using hierarchical cluster and principal component analysis (PCA). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that three components with eigen values more than one accounted for about 73.35% of the total variation among nine quantitative characters responsible for seed yield in pearl millet genotypes. The principal components PC1, PC2 and PC3 contributed about 37.44%, 22.63% and 13.28%, respectively to the total variation. The first principal component exhibited high positive loading for grain yield, stover yield, plant height, spike length, spike thickness and 1000-grain weight which contributed more to the diversity. The second principal component showed high loading for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity and 1000-grain weight. Cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into five clusters indicated that grain yield, stover yield, 1000-grain weight and days to maturity contributed maximum towards genetic divergence. The grouping patterns of genotypes in principal component analysis and cluster analysis were almost in agreement with each other with minor deviations. The maximum inter cluster distance between genotypes of cluster V and III with cluster II, indicate that genotypes included in these clusters have high heterotic response and produce better seggregants of used in Pearl millet hybridization programme.