Genetic Diversity Analysis for Earliness, Fiber Quality and Cotton Leaf Curl Virus in Gossypium hirsutum L. Accessions.

Abstract

In the present set of experiment 159 cotton genotypes that were imported from USA were evaluated for cotton leaf curl virus disease tolerance, better fiber quality and various yield related traits. For evaluation of these traits cluster, principle component and correlation analysis was employed to obtain suitable parents that can be further exploited in future breeding programmes. Days to 1stsquare had significant positive correlation with days to first flower and had positive association with nodes to 1st fruiting branch whilst it showed negative correlation with fiber fineness. CLCuD exhibited highly significant negative correlation with plant height. Plant height showed highly positive significant association with sympodia per plant and monopodia per plant while it showed significant negative association with ginning out turn. The principle component analysis grouped total variation into 5 PCs in which first two contributed 34.2% to the total variability. Regarding cluster analysis the genotypes grouped into six clusters. The genotypes in cluster I, II and III comprised of genotypes with better earliness and fiber quality traits. Cluster IV was characterized by genotypes having less attack of CLCuD, higher GOT% and somehow good quality of fiber traits. Cluster VI was represented by genotypes having good plant height, sympodial branches per plant and fiber fineness. Genotypes of cluster I, II and III could be exploited in new breeding programs because of their better earliness and fiber quality traits. Cluster IV genotypes are good to utilize for better CLCuD tolerance and GOT% whilst cluster VI genotypes were suitable for plant height, sympodial branches per plant and fiber fineness