Demand-Driven Technologies for Sustainable Maize ... - IITA

85Table 4. Number and names of genotypes of eleven clusters formedfrom 63 QPM lines evaluated in Samaru, 2000–2002.Clusterno.No. ofGenotypesQPM GenotypesI 4 PMG012E, 014E, 015E and 021MII 10 PMG001L, 002L, 003L, 005L, 008L, 009L, 016E,017E, 018E, and 023MIII 3 PMG009E, 028E and 029EIV 5 PMG001M, 002M, 005M, 008M, and 012MV 7 PMG005E, 007E, 008E, 019E, 001M, 002M and003LVI 2 PMG004L and 008LVII 8 PMG009E, 010E, 011E, 020E, 009M, 022M, 017Eand 018MVIII 11 PMG006M, 007M, 019M, 026M, 029M, 007L,010L, 023L, 024L, 025L and 028LIX 3 PMG014M, 015M and 002EX 6 PMG021E, 022E, 023E, 027E, 012M and 013MXI 4 PMG019L, 020L, 020M and 023LThe wide range of D 2 values obtained implied that enormousdiversity could be generated through hybridization, especially betweenlines in cluster V and IX. The minimum inter-cluster proximity betweenclusters I and VI indicated that they are closely related and similar;therefore, minimum opportunity for further improvement existsbetween these clusters. These results corroborate those reported inchickpea (Anilkumar et al. 1993), sunfl ower (Muppidathi et al. 1995;Chungui et al. 1996) and African pearl millet (Quendeba et al. 1995).High per se performance along with maximum inter-cluster distanceamong the genotypes with high D 2 values should be considered whilechoosing genotypes as parents for hybridization. On the other hand,crosses involving genotypes with low per se performance and lowgenetic divergence are not likely to produce a high-yield or high proteinor any exceptionally high heterotic effect of any practical value. Basedon the results of D 2 analysis carried out in this study, some lines withhigh yielding ability along with desired traits and moderate to highD 2 values could be selected as potentially good parental materials.Examples of such lines are PMG007M, PMG019M, PMG029M,PMG023L and PMG028L in cluster VIII, PMG019E, PMG007E andPMG003L members of cluster V, and PMG009E and PMG028Eof cluster III. These genotypes possess divergent traits of agronomic