Diversity analysis of select tomato accessions using morphometric data

Genetic diversity within germplasm collections is a cornerstone for effective plant breeding, providing a reservoir of traits for crop improvement, particularly in the face of escalating climate change challenges. This study aimed to characterize the morphometric diversity of 57 tomato accessions to identify key traits contributing to variation and to group genotypes with similar profiles for targeted breeding. Six morphometric traits (5 vegetative and 1 reproductive) were evaluated and found to be significantly different. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering were performed. PCA revealed that the first 3 principal components, with eigenvalues of 2.4, 1.5 and 1.1, collectively accounted for the majority of the total variation. Hierarchical clustering categorized the accessions into 6 distinct morphotype based clusters. The findings highlight the existence of multidimensional variation within the germplasm, enabling the identification of genetically divergent accessions for future breeding activities. These divergent genotypes can be leveraged as valuable parental lines to develop new cultivars with improved attributes such as high yield and compact growth habit, which are crucial for enhancing tomatobreeding efforts and fostering climate-resilient agriculture.