D2 statistic technique used for analysis of genetic divergence among Gir crossbreds

D-2 analysis is used for selection of genetically divergent parents. It is used to measure degree of diversification and determines relative portion of each component trait to total divergence. The study aimed to estimate the genetic divergence among FG (50% HF +50% Gir), IFG (FG Interse), FJG (50% HF +25% Jersey+25% Gir), IFJG (FJG Inter se) and R (50% HF+12.50% Jersey+37.50% Gir) crosses of Gir on the basis of age at first calving, first calving interval, lactation milk yield, lactation length and lactation milk yield per day of calving interval using Mahalanobis D-2 statistics. The genetic group differences were significant (P<0.01) for all traits separately and simultaneously (V test) based on five traits. The differences in the D-2 values among all the genetic groups combinations, were significant except IFG with R genetic group combination. The total D-2 values forAFC, 1st CI, LMY, LL and LMY/CI were 20.53, 0.71, 4.37, 4.16 and 0.26 respectively. The contribution of AFC to the total D-2 value was maximum as 68.37 per cent and lowest of LMY/CI as 0.87 per cent. Among the clusters formed on the basis of D-2 values, IFG, IFJG and R formed one cluster, whereas, FG and FJG folined second cluster. The magnitude of inter-cluster distance was greater than intra-cluster distance.