Studies on characterization of qualitative and morphological traits of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriachus L)

Grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriachus L) is a potential crop that exhibits a high degree of qualitative and morphological diversity. Twenty four genotypes of amaranth along with 4 checks viz GA-2, Suvarna, BGA-2 and CG Rajgira-1 were identified in the study area. Genotypes were characterized by infra-specific variations on the basis of qualitative characters. They showed green, reddish green, yellow green, pink and creamy coloured appearances with some of the differences in colours of leaves, stem, petioles, inflorescence and seeds. Significant differences for morphological traits showed high coefficient of variation for seed yield per plant, number of branches per plant, lateral spikelets length, inflorescence width and stem thickness. This information may prove benefical in the present era for protecting the unique grain amaranth.