Genetic divergence studies in foxtail millet [Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.]

Fifty genotypes of foxtail millet were subjected to multivariate analysis through Mahalanobis’ D₂ statistics (Tocher's method) and Wards’ minimum variance method. Both D₂ analysis and Ward's method grouped the 50 foxtail millet genotypes into eight clusters each. However, the clusters are different in two different methods with respect to total number as well as genotypes included in each cluster. In D₂ analysis, cluster III is the largest with 13 genotypes followed by cluster II, IV, I, VI, V, VII and VIII. Whereas in Ward's method, the cluster VI is the largest with 14 genotypes followed by, cluster VII, I, II, IV, V, III and VIII. There was no solitary cluster in Ward's minimum variance method, where as in Tocher's method, three clusters viz., cluster V, VII and VIII are solitary clusters. In both the methods, there is wide genetic diversity between the clusters. Considering the distribution of genotypes in both the methods it can be concluded that crosses, Ise-1605 × Ise-745 and Ise-1605 × Ise-1419 are having good chance of producing heterotic hybrids or transgressive segregants, depending on the gene action controlling the traits.