Assessment of variability in morphological characters of apricot germplasm of Kashmir, India

- 40 apricot cultivars were identified and characterised in Kashmir, India.
- 28 morphological traits of these apricot cultivars were investigated.
- These apricot cultivars can be divided into two groups mainly based on fruit size.
- The results can provide useful scientific data for future breeding programmes.

In the present study, 40 Kashmiri apricot cultivars/genotypes were assessed for 28 morphological traits. The results displayed a high level of variability among all the cultivars/genotypes. The fruit characteristics such as fruit size, shape, fruit volume, flesh and skin color which determines the quality and marketability of apricot exhibited huge variation. Two groups were identified based on fruit size; small fruit (<30 g) and large fruit (>30 g). PCA revealed that 84.28% of the total variance among cultivars/genotypes was explained by the first ten components. UPGMA cluster analysis divided apricot cultivars into two groups. Cluster I contains the 33 cultivars/genotypes and cluster II contains six cultivars/genotypes. The present study highlighted that the characters related to fruit morphology such as, dimensions, shape, fruit flesh color and leaf dimensions and shape are valuable traits for fast and easy discrimination of apricot cultivars. This is the first report on genetic diversity analysis of apricot cultivars/genotypes from the region. This study would provide a sound and authentic basis for effective management and sustainable utilisation of apricot germplasm in future breeding programmes in the region.