Integrating electrical parameters with agronomic, yield, and quality traits for screening superior Pseudostellaria heterophylla genotypes

Pseudostellaria heterophylla is increasingly utilized as a functional food ingredient in East Asian cuisines, valued for its bioactive polysaccharides and saponins. Concurrently, the scarcity of genetically diverse and regionally adapted cultivars poses a significant challenge to the sustainable production of this crop. This study integrates the evaluation of agronomic, yield, and nutritional traits with electrical parameters to evaluate 13 P. heterophylla varieties from diverse geographical origins. Significant varietal differences were observed in intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport, and metabolic activity, as reflected by intrinsic electrical parameters (p < 0.05). Among the tested varieties, “Zheshen I” exhibited the best results, with a fresh weight of 675.74 kg/667 m² and a dry weight of 267.41 kg/667 m². “Zheshen II” contained the highest polysaccharide content (49.27%), while “Zheshen IV” showed the highest saponin content (2.83%). Grey relational analysis identified six varieties—“Guishen I,” “Zheshen IV,” “Xuanshen I,” “Shitai I,” “Anguo,” and “Space breed”—as having superior comprehensive performance, making them suitable for promotion and cultivation in the Guizhou region. Notably, “Guishen I” (the current main cultivated variety) and “Shitai I” (a local variety) ranked among the top performers, suggesting the potential of our experimental evaluation to reflect practical cultivation outcomes. Overall, this study provides quantitative data on the nutritional components of P. heterophylla to support the standardized procurement of raw materials for functional foods, while simultaneously identifying potentially superior genotypes based on phenotypic vigor for regionally adapted breeding.