Genetic Variation and Yield Performance of Jerusalem Artichoke Germplasm Collected in China

Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is a perennial tuberous plant rich in inulin and is a potential energy crop. This study was conducted in a semiarid region of the Loess Plateau to investigate variations in morphological and agronomic characteristics and yield performance of 59 Jerusalem artichoke clones collected from 24 provinces in China. The germplasm we collected exhibited variations either in qualitative or in quantitative traits. Substantial genetic variations (genotype coefficient of variation >20%) in the main stem diameter, main stem number per plant, branch number per main stem, tuber number per plant, tuber size, tuber yield, and top yield (i.e., aboveground biomass) were found as well. Seven clones had a tuber yield ranging between 9.1–10.6 t ha−1, 7 clones had a top yield ranging between 18.1–31.3 t ha−1, and 15 clones had a total biomass yield (i.e., tuber and top weight) between 25.0–35.0 t ha−1 on an oven-dried weight basis under the drought soil and climatic condition in the semiarid region. The 59 Jerusalem artichoke clones were clustered into 8 groups based on 17 quantitative traits, and indicated that the most prevalent clones planted by farmers exhibited relatively low variation. Correlation analysis was conducted on the morphology and agronomy of the clones. This investigation suggests possible genetic improvement of Jerusalem artichoke for a higher tuber yield or a top biomass yield, and as a promising application for inulin or bioenergy in semiarid regions.