Abstract

                                A composite collection of finger millet consisting of 1000 accessionsrepresenting the diversity of the entire germplasm at ICRISAT gene bankwas developed, including 622 accessions of ICRISAT core collection.Phenotyping of the composite collection for 15 quantitative traits and 20SSR markers genotyping data resulted in the identification of promising traitspecific accessions. Principal component analysis with seven componentsindicated relative importance of the traits (days to 50 % flowering, plantheight, peduncle length, ear head length, and panicle exertion) to totaldivergence. Clustering analysis grouped biological races into three clusterswherein cultivated races vulgaris, plana, elongata, and compacta weregrouped in Cluster I and wild races spontanea in Cluster II and africana inCluster III. Accessions were identified as useful for important traits suchas early flowering (34), high grain yield (38), fodder yield (19); more fingers(29); basal tiller number (25) and ear head length (28). 0

Key words : Phenotypic diversity; Finger millet; Trait specific germplasm; Principal component analysis; Cluster analysis