Unravelling genetic diversity in pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica) genotypes from India's Eastern plateau and hill region: Insights from morphological and molecular markers.

ABSTRACT: Pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.), a nutritionally rich, dioecious cucurbit crop native to India, holds immense potential for enhancing food security, yet its genetic diversity remains underexplored, limiting breeding efforts for improved yield and quality. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the genetic diversity of 46 pointed gourd genotypes using morphological traits and ISSR markers. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three principal components explaining 72.53% of the total morphological variation, with fruit weight (0.47), pulp weight (0.46), and fruit volume (0.44) as primary contributors to PC1, and total fruit yield (0.53) and number of fruits per plant (0.49) dominating PC2. The PCA biplot identified five distinct genotype groups, highlighting significan

SUBMITTER: Sinha AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12302235 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature