Intra-varietal diversity conservation

As previously mentioned, quantifying intra-varietal diversity is important because genetic diversity represents the raw material for selection and for conservation, and quantification of this diversity increases our knowledge of the origin and expansion of cultivars. Quantification of diversity can be performed for any quantitative nait. Yield is a suitable trait for this purpose because it is easy to evaluate and exhibits high relative diversity. There are various metrics to quantify diversity, and the coefficient of genotypic variation is a particularly objective one. As an example, the intra-varietal diversity of 42 varieties is shown in Table 8.3 expressed by the coefficient of genotypic variation of yield. 

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