Phenotypic Diversity Assessment of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Collection in Vietnam

Abstract

Background: Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is an important cultivated fruit crop in Vietnam due to its commercial value for fresh consumption and especially for fruit processing industry. A large number of diverse guava accessions, both indigenous and exotic, are available in Vietnam but their characterization, which is needed to identify targeted guava accessions for breeding programs, is still limited. Methods: The phenotypic variation and relationship among 40 guava accessions collected across Vietnam were assessed employing leaf and fruit morphological and physiological characterizations. Result: Range of variation for different leaf and fruit parameters were recorded. Significant correlations between leaf and fruit traits relating to yield and fruit quality were also observed implying a possibility of their simultaneous or interchangeable use in selection. Furthermore, the dendrogram generated from agglomeration hierarchical clustering grouped the 40 guava accessions into four major clusters which are highly associated with their origins. The result indicated that existing guava accessions are an important source of genetic diversity and can be used in the guava improvement program in Vietnam.