Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Jamun Syzygium cumini L Skeels Germplasm in Mewar Region of Rajasthan

Abstract

newline The present investigation entitled Morphological and Molecular newlineCharacterization of Jamun [Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels] Germplasm in Mewar newlineRegion of Rajasthan was carried out for two seasons of the fruiting during the years newline2022 and 2023. For characterization, genetic variability and divergence evaluation of newline40 jamun genotypes, based on morph- biochemical and molecular parameters, survey newlinework, DUS test and data collection were undertaken in 2 districts of Rajasthan, i.e. newlineUdaipur and Rajsamand. newlineThe morphological characterization revealed high variability for tree, leaf and newlinefruit traits, where characters like semi-spreading tree growth habit with dense foliage, newlineleaves with dark green colour, smooth leaf lamina surface, oblong shape, acuminate newlineapex and acute base shape and fruits with ovoid shape, round apex and flat base newlineshape, dark purple pericarp and pinkish-white pulp colour were found to be dominant newlinein all the observed genotypes. The study also assessed 21 morpho-biochemical traits newlinewhere significant variation was observed for most of the traits. The values for average newlineleaf length varied from 12.55 cm to19.56 cm, leaf width from 5.18 cm to 8.59 cm, leaf newlinesize from 67.03 cm² to 137.84 cm², leaf length-to-width ratio from 1.58 to 3.40, newlinepetiole length from 1.66 cm to 2.80 cm, internodal length from 3.76 cm to 8.63 cm, newlinefruit length from 4.11 cm to 12.88 cm, fruit breadth from 1.60 cm to 2.88 cm, fruit newlinesize from 4.41 cm2 to 10.98 cm2, fruit weight from 3.18 g to 12.88 g, seed weight newlinefrom 1.09 g to 2.73 g, pulp weight from 2.10 g to 10.94 g, pulp content from 62.30 % newlineto 87.72 %, pulp-to-seed ratio from 1.73 to 7.65, T.S.S. from 8.69 °Brix to 22.38 newline°Brix, titratable acidity from 0.11 % to 0.64 %, total sugar from 6.50 % to 24.25 %, newlinereducing sugar from 4.21 % to 22.66 %, non-reducing sugar from 0.41 % to 2.72 %, newlineanthocyanin content from 46.10 mg/100g to 125.05 mg/100g and ascorbic acid newlinecontent from 9.55 mg/100g to 35.82 mg/100g. A high magnitude of heritability (broad sense) esti