Characterization of Pigeonpea Genotypes Based on DUS Traits

The research entails morphological characterization of pigeonpea genotypes based on qualitative traits which aids in varietal description and ensure genetic purity. The study was conducted at the Department of Pulses, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University during kharif, 2019 and rabi, 2019-2020. The experiment was conducted in Randomized complete block design with two replications. The 68-short duration pigeonpea genotypes were characterized and grouped based on 17 qualitative traits. The morphological characterization revealed that, more variation was identified for traits viz., pattern of streaks on standard petal, plant height, seed colour, seed shape and seed size. Sixty - eight genotypes were subjected to cluster analysis and were grouped into four major clusters with an average similarity of 80%. The similarity coefficient ranged from 0.65 to 1.00. The cluster I consisted of 60 genotypes. Two sub-groups were formed from Cluster I. The sub-group I had 59 genotypes at 84 per cent similarity, whereas the sub-group II consisted of the genotype ICPL19050. Cluster II was made up of six genotypes. The cluster II was divided into two sub-groups at 84 per cent similarity. Clusters III and IV were solitary clusters, each with a single genotype. The characterization of genotypes with specific traits could be used to identify the genotypes, maintenance of genetic purity and to utilize in future breeding programmes.