Genetic variability and divergence studies in pod and seed traits of Pongamia pinnata(L.) Pierre., accessions in Bay Islands

In this study, we assessed the variability in pod, seed traits and oil content of 24 accessions of Pongamia pinnata collected from different parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The experiment was conducted at the Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair during 2010 to 2011. The variability studies for pod and seed traits revealed that, the accession CPT-6 collected from New Wandoor in South Andaman recorded the maximum values for eight traits viz. pod length(75.51 mm), pod width(34.62 mm), pod thickness(17.55 mm), 100 pod weight(770.33 g), seed width(21.23 mm), 100 seed weight(377.00 g), oil percentage(43.92%) and germination percentage(94.7%). However, the maximum seed length(26.46 mm) was recorded from CPT 2 and the maximum pod-seed ratio was obtained from CPT 13 and CPT 4(2.50 and 2.44 respectively). The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variations were also close to each other for all traits, but the 100 pod and seed weight exhibited higher phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation than the other traits. Estimates of broad sense heritability ranged from 0.30(for seed length) to 0.95(pod length) and genetic advance as percent of the mean ranged between 11.66% and 57.40% with seed length giving the lowest value and 100 pod weight giving the highest value. Both the phenotypic and genotypic correlation between pod length, pod width, pod thickness, 100 pod weight, seed width and 100 seed weight and between pod thickness, 100 pod weight, seed width, 100 seed weight and germination percentage were found to be strong. On the basis of non hierarchical Euclidian cluster analysis, 24 accessions were grouped into six clusters. The maximum numbers of seven accessions were included in cluster VI. The maximum intra cluster distance(10.238)shown by cluster VI and the maximum inter cluster distance(17.021) between V and III followed by III and II(15.942). Among the six clusters formed the cluster III recorded maximum oil percentage, 100 pod weight, 100 seed weight, pod length, pod thickness, pod width, seed width and germination percentage, while cluster V recorded maximum pod seed ratio and germination percentage. The present findings suggest that the crossing between accessions of cluster V and cluster III will result in a wide spectrum of variability in subsequent generations.