Genetic diversity of wheat genotypes based on principal component analysis in Gangetic alluvial soil of West Bengal

104 Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most important cereal crop for the majority of world’s populations. It is the most important staple food of about two billion people (36% of the world population). Approximately one-sixth of the total arable land in the world is cultivated with wheat. Whereas paddy is mainly cultivated in Asia, wheat is grown in all the continents of the world. India is one of the principal wheat producing and consuming countries in the world. The annual production of wheat in India during 2011-12 was 94.88 million tonne (MT) (Sharma, 2013) unfortunately fall by 2.47 MT in 201213. Wheat provides a large fraction of the dietary protein and total food supply, and is grown all throughout the world, in a wide variety of climates. Wheat is a staple crop, grown as a primary food product and for other uses as well. Wheat is cultivated over a wide range of climatic conditions and therefore understanding of genetics is of great value for genetics and plant breeding purposes.