GENETIC DIVERGENCE STUDIES IN FINGER MILLET (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) GERMPLASM

Genetic divergence was she died in finger millet with 11 characters which partitioned the forty eight germplasm lines into eight clusters. Maximum no. of germplasm lines (33) were included in cluster I followed by 5 germplasm lines in cluster 2, 4 germplasm lines in cluster IV and 1 each in cluster V, VI, VII. The maximum intra cluster distance was shown by cluster VIII. Maximum divergence was observed between cluster VI and VIII, while minimum was between cluster II and VIII, Suggesting more variability in genetic makeup of germplsm lines included in these clusters.