Hrideek et al.
withȱplantȱheight.ȱLeafȱbreadthȱshowedȱsignificantȱ theȱ variabilityȱ ofȱ theȱ population.ȱ Suchȱ charactersȱ
positiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱrootȱlength.ȱLalȱ et al. (2013)ȱ canȱ beȱ usedȱ asȱ leadȱ charactersȱ inȱ furtherȱ selectionȱ
andȱ Srivastavaȱ andȱ Lalȱ (2012)ȱ alsoȱ reportedȱ thatȱ programmesȱ inȱ theȱ caseȱ ofȱ Vetiveria zizanioides .ȱ
theȱ leafȱ photosyntheticȱ rateȱ showedȱ significantȱ Geneticȱvariabilityȱandȱassociationȱanalysisȱforȱyieldȱ
positiveȱ associationȱ withȱ rootȱ biomassȱ inȱ Vetiveria
andȱ yieldȱ componentsȱ inȱ indigenousȱ andȱ exoticȱ
zizanioides .ȱ Numberȱ ofȱ tillersȱ showedȱ significantȱ collectionsȱ ofȱ vetiverȱ wasȱ doneȱ byȱ Lalȱ (2000).ȱ Heȱ
positiveȱ correlationȱ withȱ dryȱ shootȱ weight.ȱ Rootȱ reportedȱthatȱplantȱheightȱbyȱitselfȱmayȱbeȱaȱgoodȱ
lengthȱshowedȱsignificantȱpositiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱ directȱ selectionȱ criterionȱ toȱ obtainȱ promisingȱ linesȱ
leafȱ breadth.ȱ Numberȱ ofȱ rootsȱ perȱ tillerȱ showedȱ withȱ longerȱ rootsȱ inȱ vetiverȱ aimingȱ atȱ aȱ betterȱ oilȱ
significantȱpositiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱthreeȱcharactersȱ yielderȱandȱaȱgoodȱsoilȱbinder.ȱAgronomicȱcharactersȱ
(freshȱ rootȱ weight,ȱ freshȱ shootȱ weightȱ andȱ dryȱ ofȱ plantsȱ showȱ differentȱ levelsȱ ofȱ associationȱ sinceȱ
rootȱweight).ȱFreshȱrootȱweightȱshowedȱsignificantȱ theyȱareȱpolygenic.
positiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱtwoȱcharactersȱ(numberȱofȱ
Similarȱ analysesȱ haveȱ beenȱ carriedȱ outȱ byȱ earlierȱ
rootsȱperȱtillerȱandȱfreshȱrootȱweight).ȱFreshȱshootȱ
workersȱ soȱ asȱ toȱ bringȱ outȱ theȱ interrelationshipȱ ofȱ
weightȱshowedȱsignificantȱpositiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱ
polygenicȱ plantȱ charactersȱ andȱ theirȱ associationȱ
threeȱcharactersȱ(plantȱheight,ȱnumberȱofȱrootsȱperȱ
withȱ similarȱ objectives.ȱ Hrideekȱ et al .ȱ (2008)ȱ andȱ
tillerȱandȱdryȱshootȱweight).ȱDryȱrootȱweightȱshowedȱ
UmamaheswariȱandȱMohananȱ(2011)ȱalsoȱhighlightedȱ
significantȱpositiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱthreeȱcharactersȱ
theȱimportanceȱofȱsuchȱstudiesȱinȱunderstandingȱtheȱ
(numberȱofȱrootsȱperȱtiller,ȱfreshȱrootȱweightȱandȱdryȱ
relationshipȱbetweenȱcharactersȱandȱalsoȱinȱfindingȱ
shootȱweight).ȱDryȱshootȱweightȱshowedȱsignificantȱ
outȱ leadȱ charactersȱ whichȱ couldȱ beȱ concentratedȱ
positiveȱcorrelationȱwithȱfreshȱshootȱweightȱandȱdryȱ
uponȱinȱfutureȱbreedingȱprogrammesȱ.
rootȱweight.ȱThisȱtypeȱofȱinterrelationshipȱisȱdueȱtoȱ
sharingȱ ofȱ commonȱ allelesȱ amongȱ themȱ sinceȱ theȱ
Conclusion
charactersȱ areȱ governedȱ byȱ polygenes.ȱ Charactersȱ
thatȱ showȱ significantȱ positiveȱ correlationȱ areȱ
Thisȱtypeȱofȱinterrelationshipȱshowedȱinȱtheȱstudyȱ
consideredȱtoȱbeȱinterrelatedȱandȱthusȱcanȱbeȱjointlyȱ
isȱ dueȱ toȱ sharingȱ ofȱ commonȱ allelesȱ amongȱ themȱ
consideredȱ inȱ selectionȱ programmes.ȱ Theȱ inherentȱ
sinceȱ theȱ charactersȱ areȱ governedȱ byȱ polygenes.ȱ
linkageȱ betweenȱ variousȱ traitsȱ hasȱ beenȱ reportedȱ
Charactersȱthatȱshowȱsignificantȱpositiveȱcorrelationȱ
byȱ correlationȱ analysisȱ inȱ otherȱ plantsȱ alsoȱ (Sunilȱ
areȱ consideredȱ toȱ beȱ interrelatedȱ andȱ thusȱ canȱ
Kumar,ȱ2014).
beȱ jointlyȱ consideredȱ inȱ selectionȱ programmes.ȱ
Groupingȱofȱcharactersȱbasedȱonȱfactorȱloadingȱbyȱ
Whenȱsubjectedȱtoȱfactorȱanalysis,ȱfourȱfactorsȱcouldȱ
factorȱanalysisȱisȱanȱeffectiveȱmeasureȱtoȱreduceȱtheȱ
beȱextractedȱinȱtheȱcaseȱofȱtheȱtwelveȱmorphometricȱ
numberȱofȱvariablesȱbasedȱonȱwhichȱselectionȱcouldȱ
charactersȱofȱ Vetiveria zizanioides ȱinȱtheȱpresentȱstudyȱ
beȱpracticed.ȱTheȱpresentȱstudyȱwillȱalsoȱbeȱusefulȱinȱ
(Tablesȱ4,ȱ5ȱandȱ6).ȱAmongȱtheȱcharactersȱtillerȱgirthȱ
designingȱfutureȱstudiesȱinȱsuchȱlinesȱsoȱthatȱfurtherȱ
wasȱgroupedȱunderȱfactorȱI;ȱplantȱheight,ȱleafȱlength,ȱ
explorationsȱonȱtheȱinterrelationshipȱandȱassociationȱ
leafȱ breadth,ȱ rootȱ lengthȱ andȱ freshȱ weight-shootȱ
ofȱ morphometricȱ charactersȱ inȱ Vetiveria zizanioides
groupedȱ inȱ factorȱ II;ȱ numberȱ ofȱ tillers,ȱ leavesȱ perȱ
areȱcarriedȱout.
tiller,ȱnumberȱofȱrootsȱperȱtillerȱandȱdryȱweight-rootȱ
underȱfactorȱIIIȱandȱfreshȱrootȱweightȱunderȱfactorȱ Acknowledgement
IV.ȱCharactersȱwithȱtheȱhighestȱfactorȱloadingsȱcanȱ
beȱconsideredȱasȱleadȱcharactersȱinȱeachȱgroupȱbasedȱ
WeȱexpressȱourȱsincereȱgratitudeȱtoȱDr.ȱK.V.ȱSankaran,ȱ
onȱwhichȱselectionȱcouldȱbeȱpracticed.ȱPlantȱheightȱ
FormerȱDirector,ȱKFRIȱforȱhisȱvaluableȱsuggestionsȱ
showedȱtheȱhighestȱfactorȱloadingȱfollowedȱbyȱleafȱ
andȱ encouragement.ȱ Weȱ alsoȱ extendȱ ourȱ gratitudeȱ
breadth,ȱrootȱlength,ȱleavesȱperȱtillerȱandȱfreshȱrootȱ
toȱDr.ȱP.S.ȱEasa,ȱDirectorȱKFRI,ȱDr.ȱS.ȱSandeepȱandȱ
weightȱ showingȱ theirȱ higherȱ contributionȱ towardsȱ
Dr.ȱR.ȱJayarajȱforȱtheirȱwholeȱheartedȱsupport.ȱTheȱ
242