Evaluation of the phenotypic diversity of the promising jambolan (Syzygium cumini L. Skeels) morphotypes in Iran

Introduction - Genetic diversity is considered the basis of breeding programs and enables plant breeding. Jambolan fruit is a rich source of vitamin C, sugars, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, and phenolic compounds. The phenotypic evaluation of the jambolan plant morphotypes in Hormozgan province was the objective of this study. Materials and methods - In this research, vegetative (leaf top surface, underside hue, and leaf shape), reproductive (flowering initiation, duration, quantity, habit, abscission, and color), seed (length, diameter, weight, and color), fruit (bearing initiation, shape, color, length, diameter, weight, L, a*, b*, pH, total soluble solids (TSS), anthocyanin, and sugar) and leaf (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and chlorophyll fluorescence) traits were compared across seventeen jambolan morphotypes. Results and discussion - Most of the quantitative and qualitative parameters showed high variability. The correlation analysis indicated significant positive and negative relations between important characteristics. According to principal component analysis, eleven components accounted for 91.14% of the total variation, and the fruit and seed's quantitative traits were the main factors. Conclusion - The studied morphotypes were classified into two groups based on pH, total sugar, TSS, fruit length, and leaf chlorophyll content. This study's results emphasize the jambolan plant's significance as a valuable genetic resource for future breeding programs.