Phenotypic characterization and diversity analysis of single-type tuberose(Agave amica syn. Polianthes tuberosa)

Tuberose is a popular ornamental crop valued for its attractive, fragrant white flowers, which are extensively used as cut and loose flowers, and for extraction of essential oil. The present study was conducted to evaluate the morphological variability among 14 single-type tuberose varieties based on 27 quantitative traits. Among the evaluated genotypes, the variety Arka Prajwal exhibited superior performance in several floral and vegetative traits such as number of leaves (38.43), leaf length (53.61 cm), leaf width (2.40 cm), plant spread (N–S: 99.57 cm; E–W: 99.20 cm), weight of single floret (2.18 g), floret diameter (6.41 cm), floret weight per spike (115.78 g), flower yield (11.58 t/ha), and bulb diameter (3.71 cm). The variety Bidhan Snigdha excelled in traits like rachis length (44.43 cm), floret length (7.36 cm), floret width (5.10 cm), bulb weight per clump (310.23 g), bulblet weight per clump (210.69 g), individual bulb weight (51.84 g), and bulb length (7.22 cm). The varieties Prajwal, Bidhan Snigdha, and GKTC-4 were identified as high loose flower yielders and are recommended for commercial cultivation. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first six components (Eigen value >1.0) accounted for 90.48% of the total variation, with PC1 and PC2 contributing 47.97% and 14.42%, respectively. Cluster analysis using Ward’s method supported the PCA results, grouping the genotypes into two major clusters based on morphological traits. This study provides valuable insights for tuberose breeding, varietal improvement, and germplasm conservation programs.