Diversity Analysis in Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) Accessions of Lower Pulney Hills of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is one of the world's most important subtropical fruit crops. So far, it’s collection, systematic evaluation and utilization studies are limited and this would be perhaps the first systematic study to quantify the variability available. This investigation of genetic diversity would be a first in Tamil Nadu. Morphological diversity in qualitative and quantitative traits of avocado genotypes investigated in this study using the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute descriptors to evaluate twenty accessions. The traits evaluated were related to leaf, flowering, fruit, seed, and yield traits. The 20 genotypes were classified into ten groups using Mahalanobis statistics. PA-56 and PA-68, which differ in terms of characteristics and distance, might provide transgressive segregants upon curing to resistance desirable traits. Principal component analysis was done to assess the qualitative and quantitative characters combination. The total variability defined by the five PCs was 84.14 percent, whereas the variability of the 13 primary components was 99.99 percent. The genotypes that could be chosen based on PC values in each constituent graph that were positive and > 1.0 in each PC and a combination away that would unravel many genetic patterns.  Findings of this research will aid in germplasm management, conservation, and breeding strategies.