Abstract: Present study has been carried out to access the genetic variability and heritability between various cultivars of Kashmir valley of India. In present study, 40 apple cultivars were selected and various characters like fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight, fruit firmness, leaf blade length and width, petiole length, pedicel length, TSS and acidity were measured using standard procedures. The results of study revealed a huge genetic variation among the various studied characters. Highest heritability estimate (99.5%) was found for fruit weight followed by fruit length (98.5%). Similarly expected genetic advance was highest for fruit weight (55.84%) followed by acidity (42.69%) and least for TSS (13.13%). It was found that correlation between fruit length and fruit weight was reported maximum, this was followed by fruit diameter, these treatments were found statistically significant (p<0.05). While performing cluster analysis, it was found that 36 cultivars lie within cluster-I, 3 in Cluster-II and cluster-III was monogenic containing only one cultivar i.e. Scarlet Siberian. Average intra and inter cluster distance (D2) value revealed that the cluster I had the highest intra cluster distance (119.95) followed by cluster II (83.89). Inter cluster distance was maximum between cluster I and Cluster III (1521.46) followed by cluster I and cluster II 9745.61).Cluster I had maximum mean values for fruit length (67.48 mm), fruit diameter (72.47 mm), fruit weight (156.10 g) and petiole length (28.83 mm). While the cluster II is characterized by highest leaf length (88.11 mm), leaf width (55.00 mm), acidity (0.26%) and lowest fruit firmness (5.86 kg/cm2), pedicel length (19.78 mm) and TSS (10.97 ºBrix). Cluster III had maximum mean values for fruit firmness (9.43 kg/cm2), pedicel length (31.00 mm), TSS (14.23 ºBrix). Fruit weight was main factor contributing towards divergence (54.10%) followed by acidity (12.30%) and least contributing factor was TSS (0.26%). |