Phenotypic evaluation of nine chance seedling date palms for fruit quality in Sindh Pakistan

Chance seedlings of date palm possess wide genetic and phenotypic variability, which provide valuable material for the selection and development of superior cultivars with improved fruit quality and yield. The current study evaluates the phenotypic fruit characteristics of nine chance seedling date palms ( n = 9 parent trees; one tree per seedling selection; 10 fruits evaluated per tree to capture within-tree variability). A single tree was selected from each selection, and ten randomly picked fruits were collected at late khalal stage from different bunches of each tree exposed to the sunlight, and the evaluation of the fruits was done at tamar stage dried under the sun. Results of the fruit physical traits revealed that CS7 had the significantly highest fruit length (5.5 cm), fruit diameter (2.4 cm), fruit weight (15.0 g), and pulp weight (13.8 g). CS1 had the largest seed size, and the highest pulp /fruit ratio (92.3%) was observed in CS2. Results of Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that fruit weight, pulp weight and fruit diameter had strong positive correlation. First three principal component analyses (PCA) accounted for 93.34% of the cumulative variation with PC1 (measure of fruit size and yield traits), PC2 (measure of seed attributes) and PC3 (measure of PFR). K-means clustering identified three different phenotypic groups of seedlings, which were high-yielding, intermediate, and seed-dominant. Phenotypic diversity among the fruits highlights their potential as an important genetic reservoir for date palm improvement and provides a strong foundation for future breeding programs focused on developing elite cultivars with superior fruit quality, high yield, and enhanced adaptability to local climatic conditions. Because only one parent tree per seedling selection was available and evaluated, the comparative statistical analyses presented herein are exploratory and descriptive of these specific mother trees. These patterns should be confirmed in future replicated clonal trials of the same chance seedlings.