Characterization of greater yam (Dioscorea alata L.) genotypes by using morphological markers

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to characterize the morphological traits among 27 genotypes of greater yam (Dioscorea alata L.) by using morphological markers in a randomized block design with three replications during kharif 2017-18 and 2018-19 at AICRP on tuber crops project, RHRS farm, ACHF, NAU, Navsari. The morphological characterization for 19 characters revealed high variation among the genotypes in terms of shape of leaf, position of leaf, distance between lobes, colour of wing, stem and leaf, pigmentation of petiole on leaf base, formation of aerial tuber, skin and flesh colour of underground tuber, shape of tuber, presence of hairiness on tuber and spines on stem.