Applying Multivariate Analysis to Assess Phenotypic Diversity in Rice Cultivars Grown at Fogera and Pawe, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted to assess genetic variation and traits relationship in rice cultivars from Ethiopia based on quantitative traits. Sixty rice cultivars comprising improved varieties and collected accessions were evaluated at Fogera and Pawe research stations. The experiment was arranged using alpha lattice design of three replications.  Correlation studies revealed panicle length, plant height, filled grains per panicle, spikiletes fertility rate, biomass yield, harvest index and thousand seeds weight having a significant positive association with grain yield both at Pawe and Fogera. However, days to heading and days to maturity exhibited a significant negative association with grain yield at Fogera but positive association at Pawe. Principal component analysis showed that the first four components explained a cumulative variance of 81.07, 74.95%, and 80.63% at Fogera, Pawe and combined data, respectively. Days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, panicle length, filled grains per panicle and grain yield were the most discriminate traits for explaining the total variation. Cluster analysis classified sixty rice cultivars into four different groups. The first and second clusters comprised the largest number of cultivars. About 48% of improved cultivars containing the desired traits adapted predominantly to upland production system belonged to Cluster I, having the lowest intra-cluster distance. Clusters II and IV included both upland and lowland cultivars and the highest intra-cluster distance in both confirmed their heterogeneous composition while Cluster III contained exclusively of upland cultivars comprising improved and landrace types. The highest inter-cluster distance was observed between clusters II and IV, followed by clusters III and IV but the lowest between clusters I and II. Thus, future crossing program between cultivars of different cluster groups could possibly result in better heterosis in our rice breeding program.

Keywords: Genetic variation, rice, cluster, principal component, Ethiopia

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-15-03

Publication date:August 31^st 2021