Multivariate Diversity Analysis of Quantitative Traits of Mung Bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] Genotypes

Abstract Mung bean is an important pulse crop grown by poor farmers in marginal and drought-prone areas of Ethiopia. Information on the extent of genetic divergence in mung bean is vital to identify diverse genotypes for crop improvement and the efficient utilization of the existing genetic resources. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to assess the extent and pattern of morphological diversity among the mung bean genotypes and to identify the traits contributing to the genetic diversity using multivariate analyses. The experiment was conducted using 60 mung bean genotypes at Jinka Agricultural Research Center during the 2018 cropping season. The first seven principal components explained 80.1% of the total variation. Almost all the studied traits were important contributors to the divergence. The cluster analysis based on quantitative traits revealed four distinct groups. The highest inter-cluster distance was recorded between cluster I and cluster IV (D 2  = 43.16 units). The minimum inter-cluster distance was noted between cluster III and cluster IV (D2 = 12.16 units). The maximum and minimum intra-cluster distances D2 were recorded within cluster I (D2 = 6.49 units) and cluster III (D2 = 3.53 units), respectively). The range of intra and inter-cluster distance was 3.53 to 6.49 units and 12.16 to 43.16 units, respectively. Hence, the high genetic distance exhibited within and among clusters has to be exploited through the crossing and selection of the most divergent parents for future mung bean breeding programs.