Studies of variability and cluster analysis in some accessions of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.)

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to evaluate nineteen accessions of sorghum grown for two consecutive cropping seasons of 2015 and 2016 at the Teaching and Research Farm of Crop Production Department, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. The experiment assessed variability in 19 sorghum accessions based on their morph-agronomic traits and determined yield with its components traits. A randomised complete block design with three replications was used for the experiment. Data were collected on various morph-agronomical traits and were subjected individual and combined analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the result of this study, highly significant differences among most accessions were found. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and high phenotypic and genotypic variability was observed between the nineteen sorghum accessions. Highest heritability was observed in grain yield of (99%), and the most high yielding accession was AKV11 (Kaura) with grain yield of 614g in 2015 and 514.33g in 2016. High genetic advance was recorded in grain yield and panicle length. The grouping pattern of the accessions into five clusters indicated there was significant genetic variability among the accessions of sorghum tested. The most outstanding performance accessions for grain yield are: AKV11, AKV9, and AKV14, which could be used for Sorghum improvement, programme and recommend for farmers in the Southern Guinea Zones of Nigeria.