Insights into Morphological, Anatomical, and Molecular traits for Superior Fiber Yield and Quality in Dark Jute.

The lignocellulosic fibres obtained from dark jute are of superior strength but their coarseness often limits its industrial value, while fibre quality estimation processes further complicates plant selection.The lignocellulosic fibres obtained from dark jute are of superior strength but their coarseness often limits its industrial value. The tedious fibre quality estimation process further complicates the plant selection. Therefore, the current investigation was undertaken to identify some high-yielding and fine-fibre producing dark jute cultivars among a diverse panel based on the morphological and anatomical characteristics. Further, the role of lignin and some genes associated with its biosynthesis pathway, which influences fibre quality attributes was reconnoitered. The pooled analysis of variance for two years demonstrated significant variations among the genotypes across the evaluated traits. The genetic parameters, principal component analysis and correlation studies signified that the assessment of mid-diameter alongside plant height and basal diameter could enhance the selection efficiency for high fibre yielding cultivars. Among the bark anatomical traits, the area of the fiber wedge, lumen area, and number of fiber cells per bundle demonstrated the best estimates of fiber yield and quality. The lignin content (%) and the activities of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) enzymes revealed significant differences among the genotypes under evaluation, with a positive association between them for fibre strength and fineness. The upregulated activity of the genes PAL, CAD, and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) in the genotype BCCO 105 than its fine fibre-producing counterpart (OIN 95) depicted a critical role of these enzymes leading to disparity in fibre qualities. The high-fibre yielders (BCCO 105, OIN 123) and fine-fibre producing genotypes (OIN 95, OIN 128, BCCO 115, BCCO 120) detected in the present study will not only enrich the breeding materials for future fibre quality enhancements but also fulfill the quest of superior fibre producing dark jute cultivar which can be utilized in the industrial sector efficiently.