Characterization of Asian core-collection of groundnut for morphological traits

Asia region core collection with 504 accessions comprising 29 fastigiata, 230 hypogaea and 245 Vulgaris types were characterized for 14 morphological descriptors during 2000 rainy and 2000-01 post rainy seasons at Regional Research Station Raichur and Agricultural Research Station Kawadimatti, to asses the morphological diversity, to study the significant association between different traits and to know the importance of descriptor traits in the total variation. Frequency distribution of different descriptors indicated that erect type followed by procumbent-1 and decumbent-1 growth habit, alternate and sequential branching pattern, absence of stem pigmentation, subglabrous with one or two rows of hairs on the stem, light green followed by dark green leaf color, almost glabrous type of leaf surface, elliptic leaf shape, orange flower color, presence of stem pigment, 2-1 seeded pods followed by 2-3-1/2-1-3, slight to moderate beak and constriction, moderate reticulation, tan followed by red seed color dominated the core collection. The mean score for number of seeds per pod differed significantly in all three botanical varieties except growth habit, branching pattern and leaf color. But mean score for all the traits differed significantly with one or the other botanical variety. For most of the traits wider range was observed except flower color and leaf hairs and a significant association was observed between growth habit and branching pattern, growth habit and leaf color, branching pattern and leaf color in the entire collection. Between beak and pod reticulation, stem color and pod reticulation in the variety fastigiata. PCOA indicated that 12 out of 14 morphological traits exhibited significant correlation with either one of the botanical variety or with the entire collection appearing atleast once in the first five PCOA values. Shanon-Weaver diversity index revealed that flower color and leaf hairyness are monomorphic in nature. All the traits except growth habit, pod beak and pod reticulation in fastigiata and pod beak in vulgaris exhibited low diversity