To study in genetic variability and genetic divergence using non-hierarchical D2 analysis in taro (Colocasia esculenta L. var. Antiquorum)

The variability, heritability and genetic advance for quantitative characters, estimate of correlation coefficients among the important economic traits and to find out the direct and indirect effect of yield components on yield by path coefficient analysis and genetic divergence. Experimental materials for the study consisted 27 genotypes including two checks (NDC-1, NDC-2). The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Recommended cultural practices including spacing for planting were adopted for healthy crop. Observations were recorded on sixteen quantitative characters viz., days taken for sprouting, length of leaf (cm), width of leaf (cm), height of plant (cm), girth of plant (cm), petiole length (cm), number of cormels per plant, weight of cormels per plant (gm), length of corms (cm), girth of corms (cm), weight of corms per plant (gm), size of corm (cm2), yield per plant (gm), yield tonne per hectare, calcium oxalate content (mg), dry matter (%).higher genetic advance in percent of mean were recorded for yield per plant, weight of cormels per plant, petiole length, plant height. While, it was observed lower in girth of plant, girth of corm and length of corm indicates possibility of obtaining higher selection response for improvement in respect of these trait. The genotype NDC-86, NDC-26, NDC-18, NDC-6 and NDC-5 found best for yield over the check (NDC-2) in this experiment and may be exploit as a new variety of taro.