Genetic diversity in germplasm of mulberry (Morus spp.) on root proliferation

Abstract

Exploitation of heterosis is considered as an outstanding success of plant breeding. The magnitude of heterosis gained by the hybrids largely depends on the genetic divergence between the parents. This information facilitates the breeders in selection of parents for crossing and development of hybrids. The genetic diversity of the parents is not always related with the geographical diversity [1]. Assessment of genetic divergence for parents' selection is necessary for which statistical procedures, such as, 0 2 statistics and nonhierarchical Euclidean cluster analysis [2, 3] is considered. Development of superior varieties with higher survival is one of the important factors in mulberry breeding. In sericulture, mulberry (Morus spp.) plays the key role due to the monophagous habit of the silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) where production and quality of silk largely depend on the quality of mulberry. Vegetative nature of mulberry propagation allows perpetuation of the characters once it is introduced through crossing. In vegetative propagated plants, rooting ability is the most important criteria, since a well developed root system determines the utilization of nutrients from the soil for growth and development [4]. As a large number of indigenous and exotic mulberry germplasm accessions are available, study of genetic divergence of the parents are necessary to identify genetically diverse genotypes with higher adaptability for selection and utilization in breeding programme.