Phenotypic Diversity and Molecular diversity of Finger Millet Composite Collection and Identification of Trait Specific Germplasm for Use in Crop Improvement

A composite collection of finger millet consisting of 1000 accessions representing the diversity of the entire germplasm at ICRISAT gene bank was developed, including 622 accessions of ICRISAT core collection. Phenotyping of the composite collection for 15 quantitative traits and 20 SSR markers genotyping data resulted in the identification of promising traitspecific accessions. Principal component analysis with seven components indicated relative importance of the traits (days to 50 % flowering, plant height, peduncle length, ear head length, and panicle exertion) to total divergence. Clustering analysis grouped biological races into three clusters wherein cultivated races vulgaris, plana, elongata, and compacta were grouped in Cluster I and wild races spontanea in Cluster II and africana in Cluster III. Accessions were identified as useful for important traits such as early flowering (34), high grain yield (38), fodder yield (19); more fingers (29); basal tiller number (25) and ear head length (28).