Evaluation of the diversity of the morpho-agronomic characteristics of Corchorus olitorius L. cultivars developed in Saudi Arabia

Corchorus olitorius is considered a crop with high nutritional value. The C. olitorius crop is cultivated in many regions of Saudi Arabia. There is a lack of research on genetic diversity among these varieties. This work aimed to evaluate the diversity in the morphological characteristics of KSA jute germplasms and compare them to international germplasms. This study included 8 local jute germplasm seeds collected in Saudi Arabia and 16 international jute germplasm seeds from Asia, Africa and the USA. Twenty-one quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the jute samples from the stem, leaves, and fruits were evaluated. These characteristics were evaluated using many reliable statistical methods, such as multivariate analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Morphological traits, especially plant height, days to 50% flowering, leaf blade length, leaf blade width, leaf petiole length, pod pedicel length, pod length, pod width, number of pods per plant and leaf area, significantly differed among the jute samples. This is the first study to compare local jute germplasms in the KSA to international, to provide important information on their morphological diversity. This information can be used in crop improvement and conservation programs.