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The genetic divergence among 63 genotypes of sweet corn were estimated by using Mahalanobis D2
statistic for eleven characters. The genotypes were grouped into eight clusters. Cluster III was the
largest having 14 genotypes indicating genetic similarity among them, followed by cluster IV and V (12
genotypes each), cluster I and II (11 genotypes each) and cluster VI, VII and VIII (one genotypes each).
The inter-cluster distances were larger than the intra-cluster distances suggesting wider genetic diversity
among the genotypes of different groups. The highest inter-cluster distance (586.76) was observed
between cluster VI and cluster VIII followed by cluster VI and VII (544.64), cluster V and VIII (523.41),
cluster IV and VIII (463.22), cluster IV and VII (396.53), cluster V and VII (352.53), cluster III and VIII
(315.22), cluster II and VII (242.25) and cluster I and VIII (216.142) suggesting more variability in
genetic makeup of the genotypes included in these clusters. The highest intra cluster distance (103.51)
was observed in cluster VIII and lowest in cluster III, IV and VI. The clusters, VI, VII and VIII contained
only one genotype and hence, its intra-cluster distance was zero. The cluster VII had highest mean value
for grain yield per plant followed by cluster VI, and cluster V. Based on the inter-cluster distances
genotypes present in cluster I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VIII can be used as parents for hybridization
programme to develop potential hybrids.
Key words: Genetic diversity, D2 statistics, Sweet corn, Maize.