Genetic diversity and trait correlation analysis among guava (Psidium guajava L.) parents and their F1s differing in pulp color

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is popularly known as ‘Super Fruit’ and ‘Apple of the Tropics’ due to its nutritive richness. The pulp color of the guava fruit is associated with its pigment composition. In the present study, twenty-two guava hybrids and their 5 parental genotypes were evaluated for various fruit quality-related traits. The fruit weight (FW), fruit length (FL), fruit width (WF), pulp thickness (PT), seed core diameter (SCD) and FL/width ratio in guava hybrids varied from 78.93-207.10 g, 49.66-83.95 mm, 50.07-73.08 mm, 9.58-18.97 mm, 17.46-44.95 mm and 0.83-1.30, respectively. Total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid (ASC) content, lycopene (LYC) content, total anthocyanins (TAN) and total carotenoids (TCR) in the hybrid fruits ranged from 10.17-18.80 oB, 143.79-275.99 mg/100 g, 0.17-9.51 mg 100 g-1, 0.01-4.61 mg 100 g-1and 0.16-2.49 mg 100 g-1, respectively. In general, white-pulped genotypes had higher ASC content than the pink/red pulped ones. Pulp-color-related traits, viz., LYC content, TCR and TAN, showed high heritability (H) and mean genetic advance (GA). Correlation analysis revealed that LYC content was positively correlated with TCR. The observed phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for all traits exceeded the respective genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), indicating genetic diversity among the studied guava genotypes. Cluster analysis differentiated guava genotypes into distinct clusters based on pulp color as well as other fruit-related traits. The hybrids, red/pink pulp: ‘HSU/SH-16-8-2’, ‘HSU/SH-16-8-3’, ‘PPT/HSU-16-9-16’ and white pulp: ‘HSU/SH-16-8-18’, ‘SH/BG-14-1-2’, excelled for fruit-related traits, having potential to be utilized in future breeding programs.