Abstract
Abstract Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is an open-pollinated crop having 25-40% dissimilarity index which promotes heterozygosity and adds new cultivars. Morpho-genetic characterization of 37 guava accessions was carried out for genetic variability and structure of guava germplasm located in Punjab province, Pakistan. Principal Component analysis (PCA) was subjected to analyze the morphological diversity and for genetic analysis we applied cluster analysis, using the PyElph software. PCA distributed thirty one traits into six components and first two components accounted 39.5% of total variation. A dendrogram constructed on the basis of morphological traits which showed 34% dissimilarity index among thirty seven guava accessions and divided them into 6 groups. For genetic characterization 18 microsatellites were used, the size of reproducible and scorable bands ranged from 150 to 320 bp. The 18 primer pairs amplified 85 alleles with an average number of 4.7 alleles per locus and no more than two displayed bands (nuclear SSR loci). The phylogenetic tree based on molecular analysis showed 50% dissimilarity index among selected guava accessions and separated them into 4 groups.
Highlights
Guava (Psidium guajava) is an important tropical fruit crop which belongs to family Myrtaceae
These results showed that the fruit weight, fruit width, fruit length, fruit size and flesh color are highly positively correlated and as a result these traits led to the highest loading factors in this Principal Component analysis (PCA) analysis
It can be concluded that wide variation in terms of morphological traits and molecular analysis exists among guava genotypes (Figure 4)
Summary
Guava (Psidium guajava) is an important tropical fruit crop which belongs to family Myrtaceae. It is the hardiest among tropical fruits and excels most of the other fruit crops in productivity and adaptability. The fruit varies from 25 to 102 mm in diameter and from 56 to about 450 g in weight. Guavas vary from thick fleshed fruits with only a few seeds in a small central cavity, to thin fleshed fruits with numerous seeds imbedded in a large mass of pulp. The characteristic musky guava aroma and flavor are quite evident in most forms, in some types they are milder and more pleasant. The aroma and flavor may be too strong and penetrating for most tastes (MENZEL, 1985)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
