Comparative Analysis of the Major Phenotypic Characters of 23 Kenaf Cultivars

In order to explore the level of genetic diversity of different varieties of kenaf germplasm, and to improve the efficiency of comprehensive use of kenaf germplasm, the present study used randomized group test to examine and analyze a number of agronomic traits of 23 kenaf germplasms collected. The coefficient of variation (CV) of kenaf ranged from 6.07% to 58.32%, the CV of elongation was the largest and the smallest was bark thickness; Principal Component Analysis showed that the respective eigenvalues of the first five principal components were 7.175,3.545,2.125,1.701 and1.170, with a cumulative contribution rate of 78.601%; When Euclidean distance is 10, 23 kenaf cultivars can be divided into five categories. The third category of higher dry skin yield and is suitable for high-yield varieties of kenaf, and the second category of excellent fibre quality; Affiliation function method analysis shows that ‘H368’, ‘Zhejiangxiaomao 2’ and ‘Zhe8310’ ranked higher, with the potential of selecting and breeding superior germplasm. In summary, the dry bark yield of ‘H368’ is relatively high, and the fiber quality of ‘Zhexiaoma 1’ is excellent, providing a certain reference for the breeding, preservation, and promotion of excellent germplasm resources of kenaf in China.