This study investigated the factors influencing growers in the selection of seed suppliers in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. A total of 385 grower were selected using simple random sampling method. A mixed logit regression model was used to the analysis data that have 1284 observation. The result reveal that high seed purity was negatively related to the selection of alternative supplier. As the rating of seed purity increased, the probability of selecting very high-quality seed suppliers also increased. The availability of tree seeds during the desired time period had a significant influence. Higher perceived availability, categorized as high or very high, decreased the likelihood of promptly obtaining seeds from suppliers compared to when the seeds were not available. The evaluation rating of germination increases the probability of choosing suppliers with high or very high germination rates in the respective category. Growers with more experience are more likely to choose private enterprise suppliers. The implementation of appropriate quarantine measures has a positive influence on supplier selection for the groups AFE and EFD-CEC. Training in tree seed collection reduces the likelihood of choosing enterprise and AFE suppliers. Moreover, the successful production of a greater number of tree species in the nursery positively influences the probability of sourcing from enterprise suppliers. This analysis highlights the significance of seed purity, germination, quarantine measures, and the number of species produced, as factors that influence the likelihood of selecting alternative seed suppliers.

Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Schult is a highly demanded antidiabetic medicinal herb native to India. There are no improved varieties available and the plant is still collected from the wild and therefore it is important to estimate the genetic variability and heritability parameters for devising appropriate crop improvement strategy. The present study was undertaken to assess the genetic variability, heritability, character association and path analysis for growth, yield and bioactive traits in 35 accessions of G. sylvestre collected from Indian South Peninsular region. Genetic variability parameters: genotypic variance, phenotypic variance, genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), broad-sense heritability, genetic advance and genetic advance as per cent over mean of yield and quality related characters were computed to understand the extent of variability present. High levels of GCV and PCV (>20%) were observed for most of the traits. Leaf length, leaf area, leaf yield and gymnemagenin content reported with high heritability (>60%) and genetic advance over mean (>30%) suggest that variation in these traits is influenced predominantly by the genetic factors making selection more effective in improving them. The correlation and path analysis studies highlighted the importance of selecting leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf area index, fresh leaf yield and gymnemagenin content for improving dry leaf yield of G. sylvestre. The study also identified promising morphotypes (IIHR-GS-27 and IIHR-GS-9) and chemotypes (IIHR-GS-44) which can be utilized for the commercial exploitation or can serve as pre-breeding materials in the crop improvement programmes.

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni stores over 20 glycosides in leaves and stem, the primary sweetening compounds are stevioside and rebaudioside A. Stevioside is 250–300 times and rebaudioside A is 350–450 times sweeter than sucrose. These glycosides can be substituted for free sugars being used in food and beverage industries. Due to limitations in the improvement of stevia through conventional breeding, induced polyploidy technique is a quick way to achieve enhanced leaf yield with increased secondary metabolites production. Presented study was conducted to develop genetic resources by inducing polyploidy and characterizing it. The apical meristem of 30-day-old seedlings was treated with colchicine solutions, ranging from 0.05 to 0.30%. Flow-cytometric analysis confirmed 13 tetraploids and one triploid genotype. Tetraploid plants showed significant changes in plant height, had larger leaf area, thicker leaves and higher levels of stevioside and rebaudioside A content, as compared to control. The triploid plant also surpassed the diploid control in number of branches per plant, leaf thickness, leaf area and fresh stem weight. The tetraploid line (ST 6) had 65.7% higher rebaudioside A content compared to diploid control. Correlation study revealed that leaf area and leaf thickness had an inverse correlation with rebaudioside A content. These newly developed polyploid genotypes offer valuable genetic resources for future stevia breeding programmes and as polyploid varieties for commercial cultivation.

Additive main effects and multiplicative interactive effect stability model (AMMI) was used in the present study to understand the impact of season × genotype interaction (SGI) on pod yield and its attributing traits. A total of 86 determinate growth habit type French bean germplasm were evaluated in randomized block design with two replications in three different seasons. Significant variability was observed for genotypes, seasons and SGI. The component ‘seasons’ contributed more than 50% of variability to pod yield, pod number per plant and days to flowering (DFL), and ‘genotypes’ accounted more than 50% of phenotypic variation for pod length and pod width. The SGI signals were observed for pod yield per plant, number of pods per plant, pod weight and DFL, and SGI accounted for more than 20% phenotypic variability for all traits. We identified IIHR-155 and IIHR-11 as the promising genotypes across three seasons based on their position on AMMI biplots, stability indices combined with high trait mean, estimates of best linear unbiased prediction and minimal crossover interaction. The results from the present study are highly useful for utilization in crop improvement programmes to evolve the season-specific varieties and varieties with wide adaptability in French bean.

This study aimed to explore the genetic variability present in tamarind fruits. A survey and collection of twenty-nine tamarind accessions from the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh was conducted, focusing on morphological traits, biochemical properties, and mineral content. The analysis revealed significant variation in fruit characteristics, including pod weight (91.1–528.3 g), pod length (4.11–15.39 cm), pulp weight (32.88–275.68 g), number of seeds (26–237), seed weight (23.14–214.08 g), pulp percentage (26.43–52.18%), vitamin C content (54.5–92 mg/100 g), phenolic content (51.53–296.4 mg GAE/g fw), flavonoid content (75.91–280.88 mg QE/ 100 g fw), acidity (5.3–12.60%), reducing sugars (24.67–68.29%), total sugars (24.89–78.87%), calcium (0.15–1.28%), and iron content (26.6–125.7 ppm) across different accessions. Based on the overall evaluation, five accessions B21, B26, B15, B25, and B7 with the best combination of desirable fruit traits, were identified as the most promising. Additionally, five sweet accessions with acidity levels below 6% were identified (B26, B21, B15, B12, B11). Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied, identifying five principal components that accounted for 86.73% of the total variability. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between pod weight and pulp weight (r = 0.93), shell weight (r = 0.70), number of seeds (r = 0.89), and seed weight (r = 0.89). The biplot of PC1 and PC2 illustrated the distribution of accessions across all four quadrants, with B27, B8, B26, B29, B14, B18, and B13 displaying distinct differences from one another.

Wood apple (Limonia acidissima L., Rutaceae) is a medium to large-sized semideciduous tree native to Indian subcontinent. The Indian systems of medicine recognized this tree for its medicinal properties and nutritional fruit. The present study evaluates chemotypic diversity by using HPTLC method for identification of elite genotypes among 96 accessions of wood apple leaves collected from diverse populations across 16 states of India. Here, the multivariate analysis, including the extent of variation, broad sense heritability, genetic advance, correlation of mean value of each replicate were assessed with respect to four target bioactive molecules (quercetin, stigmasterol, psoralen and niloticin) extracted from leaves of wood apple. The results showed that the analysis of variance revealed significant variabilities for all the four biomolecules analysed. The hierarchical clustering grouped all the accessions into eight clusters. Out of which, cluster II and VI contained a maximum of 20 and 18 genotypes, respectively. Cluster VIII consisted of only three genotypes. The intra-cluster distance ranged from 0 (cluster II to VIII) to 6.83 (cluster I). The highest inter-cluster distance was found between clusters V and VII (22.52). Positive correlation was found between chemotypic traits at both the genotypic and phenotypic level. The broad sense heritability was recorded highest for quercetin (97.7%). The high genetic advance was noticed for niloticin (217.4). This study detected significant chemotypic variation among the accessions. The elite accessions identified in this study could be utilized to enhance the quality, efficacy and economic value of medicinal products.

The present study was conducted with the objective of studying the genetic diversity of essential oils (EOs) in curry leaf (CL) ex-situ. Chemometric methods and pattern analysis were employed to assess the genetic diversity of EOs and to characterise diverse sets of CL germplasm into different chemotypes. The study revealed a huge genetic diversity for EO yield and its composition among the tested genotypes. Cultivated types had significantly higher EO yields and showed a greater degree of genetic divergence compared to wild types. In total, 80 different compounds were identified in the EOs of CL and classified into major (6) and minor (74) compounds. The major compounds α-pinene, γ-terpinene, and α-selinene and 14 minor compounds were highly variable among the tested genotypes. They may play an important role in the formation of different chemotypes. Other important compounds, such as trans-caryophyllene and α-humulene, were more widely distributed among the tested genotypes and indicated their predominant occurrence in the EOs of CL. Some major compounds, such as valencene and γ-terpinene, showed a significant regional correlation, indicating the role of geographic factors in the evolution of different chemotypes. Furthermore, some compounds such as α-pinene, bornyl acetate, and camphene had significantly higher concentrations in wild types compared to cultivated types, indicating the influence of domestication through human selection on the composition of EOs in CL. A total of 4 major chemotypes were characterised, of which three new chemotypes are being reported for the first time in CL.

Pummelo is the largest citrus species in the Rutaceae family and is important for human health and nutrition. This fruit is underutilized and threatened by human activities in its natural habitat. The present research was conducted in the Devanahalli region of Karnataka, which has a vast diversity of pummelo. This study aimed to evaluate 40 pummelo genotypes, selected through a preliminary survey, using morphological, biochemical and sensory assessments. Fruit and pulp weights ranged from 344.03 to 1746.23 g and 194.39 to 1073.07 g, with mean values of 939.67 and 522.81 g, respectively. Traits such as fruit length, diameter, fruit axis diameter, fruit volume, number of segments, rind thickness, fruit, pulp, peel weight, seed weight and seeds per fruit showed highly significant differences. Biochemical analysis revealed that ascorbic acid content varied from 28.53 to 60 mg/100 g, titratable acidity from 0.73 to 2.07% and total soluble solids from 7.63 to 11.07°Brix. High phenol (55.08–166.17 mg GAE/g FW) and flavonoid (39.26–137.78 mg CE/g FW) content were observed in fruit pulp, indicating significant antioxidant potential. Several morphological and biochemical traits exhibited significant positive correlations. A slightly higher phenotypic coefficient of variation was found for all the characters compared to the corresponding genotypic coefficient of variation. The principal component analysis indicated that the first nine components contributed 94.24% of the total variation. Hierarchical cluster analysis divided the populations into two distinct clusters. Sensory analysis indicated that genotypes, DVP-1 and DVP-2 had higher acceptability rates. The significant variations in plant traits among the genotypes offer great chances to select the best ones for genetic improvement programmes.

This study examines the morphological and chemical characteristics of seeds from five Fritillaria species: Fritillaria pinardii, Fritillaria pontica, Fritillaria kittaniae, Fritillaria imperialis and Fritillaria alfredae Post subsp. glaucoviridis (Turrill) Rix. Morphological measurements included total length, total width, embryo length, embryo width, seed left-wing coverage width, seed right-wing coverage width and the distance between crossing points. These measurements revealed significant differences among the species. For example, F. imperialis exhibited the longest seeds and the largest embryos, while F. alfredae Post subsp. glaucoviridis had the smallest dimensions. Chemical analyses were conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, identifying various significant compounds across the species. High proportions of 2,2-dimethoxybutane were found in the seed samples. In F. pontica, compounds such as 2,2-dimethoxybutane (66.33%) and 1,1-dipropoxypropane (13.24%) were prevalent. Fritillaria kittaniae seeds showed high levels of benzene, 1,1′-(3,3-dimethyl-1-butenylidene) bis- (25.57%) and cyclohexene, 3-methyl-6-(1-methylethylidene)- (6.89%). In F. imperialis, significant compounds included 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-ethyl-2-methyl (9.73%) and dodecane (5.73%). Fritillaria pinardii had notable amounts of 3,6-dimethyloctane (4.81%), while F. alfredae subsp. glaucoviridis contained 2-methoxyethyl(trimethyl)silane (13.21%). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed clear groupings based on morphological and chemical similarities. Fritillaria pinardii, F. pontica and F. kittaniae formed a cluster due to their similar morphological and chemical characteristics, whereas F. imperialis and F. alfredae subsp. glaucoviridis formed a distinct group. These findings provide valuable insights into the identification and classification of Fritillaria species. Integrating morphological and chemical data can enhance the accurate identification of these species. This study contributes to understanding the natural diversity of Fritillaria species and has implications for ecological studies.