Vol. 8, Issue 12, Part H (2024)

The present study on “Genetic diversity studies on yield and yield attributing traits of Quality Protein Maize (Zea mays L.)” was carried out at AICRP on Maize, Maize Improvement Project, Kasba Bawada, Kolhapur during rabi 2023. Fourty-two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes were evaluated to measure genetic diversity. The 42 genotypes were grouped into eleven clusters in which six clusters are solitary. Cluster I contained maximum genotypes (18) followed by cluster V which contained 10 genotypes, cluster VI contained 4 genotypes and cluster VIII had 3 genotypes. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster VI and cluster VIII (D²= 75.17) followed byclusters V and VI (D= 57.73), clusters VIII and IX (D = 54.36), clusters III and VIII (D=47.67) and clusters I and VIII (D=46.26) indicated that these genetically heterogeneous clusters of genotypes may be utilized in a hybridization program to further improvement in maize. The majority of the characters desirable mean values were found in cluster V and VIII. Thus, it would be possible to combine the desirable traits of several accessions by recombination breeding between genotypes of distinct clusters. It was observed under study that thousand kernel weight (g) contributed highest (68.99%) for diversity indicating scope for development for these personalities.