Preliminary study on genetic diversity and relationship of 12 White Turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe) accessions based on morphological traits

Abstract

White turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe) is one of the important plants in the genus Curcuma (Zingiberaceae). This plant grows in Asia and has wide variety of morphological characteristics. White turmeric can be used as a spice for food additive and the raw material for traditional medicine. Indonesian Spice and Medicine Crop Research Institute (ISMCRI) has collected 12 white turmeric accessions from several localities in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the relationship between 12 white turmeric accessions based on their morphological characteristics. The rhizome used weighs 30-50 grams with 2-3 shoots. The plots size was 2.5 x 3.5 m2 with a spacing of 50 x 50 cm2, contained 20 plants per plot. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. Morphological traits parameters observed were 11 morphological characters, namely plant height, leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves, leaf thickness, stem diameter, number of tillers, rhizome weight, rhizome length, rhizome width, and rhizome thickness. A significant morphological variation level was recorded for rhizome weight and plant height, while genetic diversity is showed by rhizome weight and a number of tillers. The morphological characteristics observed were correlated with each other. Cluster analysis created four major groups.