Principal component analysis for productivity and grain quality traits in rabi sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench)

Principal component analysis was carried out involving 24 selected mini core and 16 promising varieties during rabi sorghum. Principal component analysis revealed that, four out of twelve principal components with eigen values >1 were extracted. Among the selected mini core, three components contributed 66.37% of the total variation. Principal components first three contributed 30.55%, 19.74%, and 16.07% toward the variation, respectively. Plant height and true density traits contributed positively in mini core accessions. Whereas, among promising released varieties the three components contributed 66.46% of the total variation and first three contributed, 30.07%, 19.51% and 16.88%, respectively. Ear head width, 100 seed weight, seed volume, true density and seed size has showed positive contribution in all three principal components of variation observed in varieties. So, these characters spread over different principal component and contributing most to explain the variability should be taken into consideration for their utilization in breeding programme.