Principal component analysis for seed yield traits in roselle ( Hibiscus sabdariffa L.)

Sixty genotypes of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) were evaluated at three different agro-climatic zones viz., North Coastal Zone of Andhra Pradesh, Indo-Gangetic Zone and Terai Zone of West Bengal for seed and its contributing characters during kharif, 2013 and 2014. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that three components with eigen values more than one accounted for about 79 % of the total variation among ten quantitative characters responsible for seed yield in roselle genotypes. The principal components PC1, PC2 and PC3 contributed about 48.35 %, 21.22 % and 9.57 %, respectively to the total variation. The first principal component had high positive loading for test weight, plant height @130 DAS, seeds per pod, plant height @75 DAS, pods per plant and days to 50% flowering which contributed more to the diversity. The second principal component had high loading for pods per plant, seed yield/plant, test weight, plant height @130 DAS and @75 DAS. The genotypes viz., AR-71, AR-55, REX-34, AS-80-26, AS-81-1, AS-80-19, ER-60, AS-81-22, AS-81-2 and REX-38 were identified as the most diverse genotypes, based on component scores and these genotypes could be utilized as parents in hybridization programme.