DESHMUKH, Dr. D. T.WANKAR, AKSHAY DNYANDEO.2023-12-192023-12-192021-09-20WANKAR, AKSHAY DNYANDEO. (2021). Genetic divergence studies in American cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Department of Agricultural Botany, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. M. Sc. 2021. Print. xii, 66p. (Unpublished).https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810203812A study “GENETIC DIVERGENCE STUDIES IN AMERICAN COTTON (Gossypium hirsutum L.)” was undertaken to estimate the degree of divergence among the forty genotypes of upland cotton using multivariate Mahalanobis D2 statistics at Cotton Research Unit, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among forty genotypes for all eleven characters. This is also confirmed by Wilk’s criterion. The canonical analysis revealed that about 78.09 per cent of the total variation was accounted by the first five canonical roots. In vector I, halo length was important sources of variation. Whereas days to 50 per cent flowering was important sources of variation in vector II. In vector III, days to 50 per cent boll bursting, in vector IV days to 50 per cent boll bursting, in vector V, Boll weight played important role in genetic variation. seed cotton yield per plant, halo length, number of bolls per plant and ginning percentage were contributing towards genetic divergence. By using Tocher’s method, all forty genotypes were grouped into five clusters. Cluster I had highest number of genotypes (21) followed by cluster II (15), cluster V (2) and cluster III and IV represented by single genotypes. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster V and cluster II (D = 9.33). Hence the genotypes occured in cluster V and II may be utilized in breeding programme to get more heterosis for yield and yield contributing traits viz. number of bolls per plant, boll weight, seed index, seed cotton yield per plant, days to 50 per cent flowering and days to 50 per cent boll bursting. These cross combinations may also yield good transgressive segregants.EnglishThesis