Comprehensive Evaluation of Agromorphological Traits, Yield Potential, and Essential Oil Profiles in 160 Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) Genotypes

Coriander has become increasingly significant from both economic and nutritional perspectives owing to the biologically active compounds obtained from its powdered fruits, dried extracts, herbal infusions, tinctures, and decoctions. To identify high-quality coriander (Coriandrum sativum) genotypes, 160 genetic materials were grown under the same environmental conditions and comprehensively analyzed in terms of numerous morphological, agronomic, essential oil, and essential oil component characteristics. The experiment was conducted during the spring-summer season of 2024 in Bolu province located in a transitional climate zone in western Türkiye. Significant phenotypic variation was observed among the genotypes, with fruit yields ranging from 0.05 to 4.98 g/plant. The GN-37, GN-103, and GN-33 genotypes showed the highest fruit yield values. Essential oil content varied between 0.02% and 2.25%, with the GN-154 and GN-88 genotypes exhibiting the highest oil yields. The most important essential oil components of coriander genotypes and cultivars were linalool, β-pinene, γ-terpinene, camphor, trans-geraniol, trans-geranyl acetate, 13-tetradecenal and myristic acid. Among these, linalool was detected in all genotypes, ranging from 0.52% to 48.90%, and the GN-114 and GN-73 genotypes revealed the highest linalool content. These findings demonstrate that the investigated coriander genotypes exhibit superior yield and quality attributes, highlighting their considerable potential for economically viable cultivation under appropriate growing conditions. The cluster and principal analyses showed important results among the coriander genotypes for the specific traits examined such as camphor, trans-geraniol and biological yield. The results obtained are expected to form the basis for identifying suitable parental materials and developing new varieties for future coriander breeding programs, particularly through the selection of genotypes with high yield and desired quality characteristics. This comprehensive field assessment contributes not only to determining phenotypic differences among genotypes but also to identifying valuable genetic resources that can be used for coriander improvement. In this respect, the study makes a significant contribution to the evaluation of genetic resources in coriander and, in particular, to identifying superior genotypes usable for breeding in terms of yield, essential oil, and essential oil components.