Morpho-biochemical characterization of aonla (<i>Emblica officinalis</i> Gaertn.) genotypes under alkaline soil conditions in sub-tropical regions of India

Abstract This study investigates the potential of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (aonla) for cultivation across diverse soil types, with a particular focus on alkaline soils, as part of broader efforts to enhance biodiversity, promote sustainable agriculture and improve climate resilience. This experiment was focused on identifying and characterizing aonla accessions for alkaline conditions. Among the 11 genotypes characterized; CISH-A-33 and CISH-A-31 exhibited superior fruit yield per plant (53.99 ± 1.97 and 44.17 ± 0.91 kg/tree, respectively), indicating better adaptability to alkaline conditions. Additionally, CISH-A-33 genotypes showed higher content of biochemical traits such as total soluble solids (TSS) (9.70 ± 0.10°B), acidity (3.25 ± 0.10%), ascorbic acid (504.65 ± 1.12 mg/100 g), total sugar (8.21 ± 0.05%), reducing sugar (3.85 ± 0.01%), phenol (1.41 ± 0.01 g/100g GAE) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (233.74 ± 1.59 mg/g) followed by CISH-A-31. A correlation study between morphological and biochemical traits indicated that fruit weight was negatively correlated with TSS, ascorbic acid, total sugar and FRAP, but strongly positively correlated with yield, fruit diameter, acidity, reducing sugar and polyphenol content. TSS, total sugar and FRAP had a negative correlation with yield, whereas ascorbic acid, reducing sugar and polyphenols had a favourable correlation. Two principal components (PCs) with differing descriptive capacities were identified by principal component analysis; PC-1 explained 65.89% of the overall variability, while PC-2 explained 29.67%. These promising genotypes (CISH-A-33 and CISH-A-31) hold potential for crop genetic enhancement, benefiting alkaline soils not only in sub-tropical regions of India but also in other similar environments. This research identifies promising aonla accessions adaptable to alkaline soils, offering prospects for breeding climate-resilient varieties with enhanced productivity and fruit quality.