ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC DIVERGENCE IN SEED PURPOSE WATERMELON / KALINGDA (Citrullus lanatus)

R. BHARDWAJ¹*, R. MUNDIYARA², H.R. MAHLA³, J.R. VERMA^4
1AICRN on Potential Crops, Agricultural Research Station, Mandor, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, 342304, Rajasthan, India
²Agricultural Research Sub-Station, Nagour, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, 342304, Rajasthan, India
³Principle Scientist, ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur, 342003, Rajasthan, India
⁴Agricultural Research Station, Mandor, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, 342304, Rajasthan, India
* Corresponding Author : bhardwajrahul4u@gmail.com

Received : 01-06-2021     Accepted : 27-06-2021     Published : 30-06-2021
Volume : 13     Issue : 6       Pages : 10783 - 10785
Int J Agr Sci 13.6 (2021):10783-10785

Keywords : Kalingda, Genetic Divergence, Genotypes
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Zonal Director Research, Agricultural Research Station, Mandor, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, 342304, Rajasthan, India. Authors are also thankful to Network Coordinator, All India Coordinated Research Network on Potential Crops, NBPGR, New Delhi for financial support to conduct this research
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Kalingda [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai] is an extremely valuable crop with medicinal properties. Despite of having its importance to the arid region, a very few genetic studies have been performed for describing the divergence in this crop. Therefore, the present experiment was executed with 12 genotypes, at two locations (ARS, Mandor and ARSS, Nagour) during kharif 2020. Significant differences were exhibited among genotypes for all the traits while environments were found significant for days to maturity, no. of fruits per plant and fruit yield (q/ha). G X E interaction was also reported significant for all traits except days to first fruit setting and 100 seed weight. Estimation of genetic divergence displayed a measure of diversity and grouped the genotypes into four clusters. Days to maturity, fruit yield (q/ha) and no. of fruits per plant contributed about three-fourth of total genetic divergence. Cluster III and IV were most divergent followed by cluster I and IV as they were having maximum inter cluster distance while maximum intra cluster distance was depicted by cluster I. Considering cluster distance and per se performance, six promising genotypes of kalingda have been recognized for tangible advancement in the seed yield and other ancillary traits

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