CHIKKALINGAIAHJYOTI, BIRADAR.2017-06-162017-06-162010-07-15Th-9626http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810020774Studies on genetic diversity and correlation studies in mulberry were conducted during rainy and winter seasons of 2009 at Department of sericulture UAS, GKVK, Bangalore. Ninety mulberry accessions were used for this study. The range of variability was maximum for Plant height, total shoot length, number of leaves per plant and leaf yield per plant. All parameters studied were least affected by environment showing a close correspondence between phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) in both seasons. High heritability estimates were for all the parameters except leaf moisture content, leaf moisture retention capacity at different hours and fruit traits. Genetic diversity was assessed among rainy and winter season by using Mahalanobis D2 statistics. The accessions were grouped into seven clusters. Cluster II had maximum accessions of 38 in rainy and cluster I had maximum accessions of 54 in winter seasons. The study revealed that total shoot length contributed maximum to genetic divergence followed by number of leaves per plant and single leaf area in both seasons. D2 values ranged from 21.18 clusters III and IV and 105.62 between the clusters V and VI in rainy season. D2 value 33.56 cluster I and V and 130.31 between the clusters VII and I in winter season. Association revealed high positive correlation of plant height, number of branches per plant, intermodal distance and number of leaves per plant on leaf yield per plant. Hence, it may concluded that these parameters contributed maximum to higher leaf yield per plant compared to other parameters.ennullThesis