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VOL. 8, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Multivariate analysis of genetic divergence in soybean genotypes
Authors
Sharmila Kumari, B L Meena, Karan Sachdeva
Abstract
Soybean is an important oilseed and protein-rich crop. Assessing
genetic diversity is critical for choosing appropriate parents to enhance seed
yield as well as better agronomic and quality parameters. In this context, the
research was carried out during Kharif 2021 under rainfed conditions at
the Agricultural Research Station, Ummedganj, Agriculture University, Kota,
Rajasthan. Thirty-two soybean genotypes were evaluated in a Randomized Block
Design with three replications to study genetic divergence using Mahalanobis D²
statistics and principal component analysis. D² analysis grouped the genotypes
into seven clusters, with Cluster II being the largest, followed by Cluster I.
Cluster I had superior mean performance for yield and related traits, including
number of pods per plant, biological yield and seed yield per plant. Cluster IV
recorded the highest protein content, while Cluster V exhibited maximum oil
content, indicating their importance for quality improvement. The greatest
inter-cluster distances were found between Cluster II and Cluster VII, followed
by Cluster II with Clusters V and VI, indicating significant genetic divergence
and potential for heterosis via hybridization. The top three principle
components accounted for 80.66% of the overall variation and plant height, days
to 50% flowering, days to maturity, protein content, biological yield per
plant, seed yield per plant, number of branches per plant and number of pods
per plant were the most important contributors to genetic variability in the PCA
analysis. Overall, the result revealed presence of significant level of genetic
diversity among soybean genotypes. Parents chosen from extremely diversified
clusters can be employed in breeding programs to produce superior,
higher-yielding cultivars with desirable agronomic attributes.
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Pages:139-143
How to cite this article:
Sharmila Kumari, B L Meena, Karan Sachdeva "Multivariate analysis of genetic divergence in soybean genotypes". International Journal of Agriculture and Plant Science, Vol 8, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 139-143
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