Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
In the present study, 30 indigenous niger ( Guizotia abyssinica L.f. Cass.) accessions from the Eastern Ghats of India and three improved genotypes were used for phenotyping and genetic assessment by SSR markers for advancing future breeding programs. These accessions were evaluated for different agro-morphological and photosynthetic traits during kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023. Significant variations were recorded in plant height, plant biomass, capitula per plant, seeds per capitulum, and grain yield among the genotypes. In addition, remarkable variations were recorded in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, water use efficiency, carboxylation efficiency, SPAD index and PSII activity. The Shannon–Weaver diversity index (H′) of different traits ranged from 0.58 to 1.38, demonstrating considerable genetic diversity among the accessions. The initial two principal components showed 45.0% of the total variation, highlighting significant variations among the genotypes. Transpiration rate ( E ), grain yield, photosynthetic rate ( P N ) and stomatal conductance (gs) showed the highest positive loadings and were major determinants of phenotypic variability. The heritability ranged from 40.00 to 99.71%, while the genetic advance varied from 4.62 to 75.28%. The SSR Primers such as GA029, GA013, GA054, GA081, and GA117 showed the higher polymorphism and PIC value and potentiality for exploring the genetic diversity of studied niger genotypes. Notably, local accessions like Mukundpur, Paraja Deopali, Sungar, Ganjeipadar, and Sarabati demonstrated enhanced agronomic traits, physiological efficiency and yield performance compared to improved varieties. The results highlight the significance of these indigenous accessions as important genetic resources for upcoming breeding initiatives focused on enhancing yield.
Padhi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.