Characterization and Morphological Diversity of Local Avocado Germplasm (Persea americana Mill.) from Northern Tanzania

Abstract

Tanzania’s diverse agroecological zones offer ideal conditions for cultivating tropical fruits, including avocados, which are economically and nutritionally important. This study assessed the morphological diversity of seed-propagated avocado germplasm from Northern Tanzania’s Tanga, Kilimanjaro, and Arusha regions. Two hundred seventy mature avocado trees were sampled from farmers in two districts per region. The samples were characterized using 14 descriptor variants from the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) avocado descriptor list. Quantitative traits were analyzed through one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with populations (districts) and altitude ranges as factors. Qualitative characteristics were assessed using cross-tabulation, Chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) explored morphological diversity relationships. The results revealed significant variation in quantitative traits (p