Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Evaluation, characterization and diversity analysis of some wax apple [Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. and Perry.] genotypes
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Mondal Tanmoy, Deb Prahlad, Kundu Subhasis, Bauri Fatik Kumar, Chattopadhyay Shivaji
Research Articles | Published: 03 June, 2026
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Keywords: Wax apple, Genetic diversity, PCA, Bi-plot, Cluster analysis, Correlation
Abstract
Wax apple is one important minor tropical fruit relished for its crispy and juicy pulp. Being native of Malay Peninsula and Andaman Islands, the fruit exhibits a considerable unexplored diversity in Eastern and North Eastern India. The present investigation was conducted to assess the morphological, physico-chemical, and biochemical variability among twelve wax apple genotypes at Horticultural Research Station, Mondouri, West Bengal, India. Considerable variation was observed in tree growth habit, canopy structure, and leaf characteristics, reflecting significant genetic diversity. Fruit physical attributes such as colour, shape, size, and presence of cavity also varied widely among genotypes. Superior fruit weight, size, and volume were recorded in WA-10, WA-5, and WA-2, with maximum fruit weight (45.55 g) observed in WA-10. Biochemical analysis revealed that WA-10 possessed the highest total soluble solids (8.3 °Brix), total sugar (6.85%), and ascorbic acid content (65.85 mg 100 g−1 pulp), followed by WA-1. Principal Component Analysis indicated that three components explained 86.38% of the total variation, with major contributions from TSS, sugars, fruit weight, and moisture content. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into four clusters, while correlation analysis showed strong positive association of total sugar with TSS and other sugars and negative association with acidity. Overall, WA-10 emerged as the most promising genotype.
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Author Information
Department of Horticulture, MITS Institute of Professional Studies, Rayagada, India