Biochemical evaluation of local genotypes of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) under coffee ecosystem of lower pulney hills in Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during 2016-2017 at Horticultural Research Station, Thadiyankudisai and its adjoining areas, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore with an objective to evaluate the local seedling genotypes of jackfruit using biochemical traits. Totally 35 genotypes were evaluated. The coefficient of variation for fruit biochemical characters such as total soluable solids (21.23 %), total sugars (25.10 %), reducing sugars (19.42 %), non-reducing sugars (29.67 %), titrable acidity (30.43 %), ascorbic acid content (48.79 %), carotene content (41.86 %) and protein content (30.50 %) showed considerable variations. Among the biochemical parameters studied, ascorbic acid (48.79%) exhibited high variation among the evaluated genotypes. Based on yield per tree and biochemical parameters, the genotypes namely HRS TKD AH-5, 9, 17, 24, 28, 31, 32 and 33 were found promising. Under lower pulney hills, there is plenty of variations in jackfruit diversity. So, these identified local genotypes can be good donor in hybridization programme to evolve the superior varieties for crop improvement.