Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a vegetatively-propagated crop which is used as a natural dye in the food industry and also presents many biological active compounds. Turmeric conventional breeding is difficult and often limited to germplasm selection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic divergence among turmeric accessions available in Brazil using seven morpho-agronomical descriptors. Overall genetic divergence was low, although some divergent genotypes were identified. Four main groups of genotypes were identified and could be further used in breeding programs. Canonical variable analysis suggested that some descriptors were more important to discriminate accessions and also that one of the descriptors could be discarded. The results provided useful insights for better management of the germplasm collection, optimizing conservational and breeding efforts.
Curcuma longa; medicinal plant; natural dye; genetic resources; multivariate analysis
