A multi‐season evaluation was undertaken to characterize morphological, yield‐related, genetic, and phytochemical variation in twenty fenugreek genotypes representing diverse geographical origins from India and the United States. The experiment was conducted over two consecutive seasons to ensure the reliability of performance. Major variability was observed among genotypes for growth, phenological, and yield‐related traits across both seasons. Estimates of genotypic and phenotypic coefficients of variation revealed moderate to high variability for key yield components. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percent of the mean for several traits indicated the predominance of additive gene action and the effectiveness of selection for genetic improvement. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations among important morphological and yield characters, providing insight into indirect selection strategies. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the genotypes into distinct clusters, reflecting genetic divergence and aiding in the identification of promising parental lines. In addition, comprehensive phytochemical profiling was performed by estimating total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity in both leaves and seeds of all genotypes, revealing marked genotype‐dependent variation. Supplementary, GC–MS analysis of selected leaf and seed samples enabled grouping and identification of major bioactive compounds, highlighting biochemical diversity between plant parts. Overall, the study demonstrates substantial genetic and phytochemical variability among fenugreek genotypes, offering valuable information for breeding programs aimed at improving yield potential and nutraceutical quality.
Sekar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.