| Summary: | An investigation was carried out with 52 genotypes of rice to study the nature and magnitude of genetic divergence using D2 statistics. Fifty two genotypes were grouped into 8 clusters based on Euclidean cluster analysis with cluster-IV containing maximum of 14 genotypes. Maximum intra-cluster distance was observed in cluster- IV (187.87) indicating greater genetic divergence among genotypes belonging to this cluster. Number of spikelets panicle-1, plant height, grain panicle-1 and grain yield plant-1 contributed maximum towards genetic divergence. Maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster-IV and VIII (1875.84) followed by cluster IV and cluster VII (1453.19), cluster II and cluster VIII (1275.66) and cluster II and cluster VII (1034.22) indicating wide genetic diversity between the clusters which may be used in rice hybridization programme(s) for improving grain yield through transgressive breeding. Hence, the crosses between BPT-5204 × IR 58025B, IET 20924 × IR 68897B and BPT-5204 × IR 68897B (cluster-IV × cluster-VIII), BPT-5204 × Khuta Dhan and IET 20924 × Khuta Dhan (cluster-IV × cluster-VII), Dantaswari × IR 58025B and IDR-763 × IR 58025B (cluster-II × cluster-VIII), Dantaswari × Khuta Dhan and IDR-763 × Khuta Dhan (cluster-II × cluster-VII) could be suggested for the exploitation of transgressive segregants for both yield and yield traits.
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