Vol. 7, Issue 4, Part C (2025)

Food safety and agricultural production are seriously threatened by arsenic pollution in agricultural soils, particularly in areas that cultivate rice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of 120 rice genotypes in the Ambagarh Chowki block of Chhattigarh, which is characterized by soil arsenic concentrations of 14 mg/kg, under naturally occurring arsenic-contaminated field circumstances. A total of 10 mutants, 66 farmer's variety, and 44 popular cultivars—including five check varieties (Pooja, MTU1010, IR64, Indira Sugandhit Dhan 1, and TN1)—were among the selected genotypes. Over a 0.1416-hectare area, the experimental setup used an augmented randomized complete block design for assessment of clustering in diverse accessions. Hierarchical clustering (Ward's D2 technique) and silhouette analysis were used for cluster analysis. Three optimum clusters, according to the silhouette plot, and later dendrogram study verified different genetic groups based on genotype homogeneity. The results showed that the genotypes response to arsenic stress varied significantly, underscoring the possibility of choosing arsenic-tolerant cultivars. To categorize genotypes for breeding programs aimed at enhancing arsenic resilience, cluster analysis proven to be an effective technique. The findings provide a basis for using genetic variation to create rice cultivars that preserve safety and productivity in regions impacted by arsenic. Cluster II was found to be comprising of As-tolerant genotypes with medium to long grains implying link of grain As-accumulation with grain morphology. These genotypes can be used for natural As-contaminated areas and could be the most economic mitigating strategy against As-safe rice.