Multivariate analysis of agro morphological and biochemical variation in ber germplasm from the Kachchh region of Gujarat India

Ber ( Ziziphus spp.) is an important fruit crop in arid and semi‑arid regions of India, valued for its nutritional, medicinal, and ecological significance. The Kachchh region of Gujarat, characterized by saline soils and extreme drought, provides a natural laboratory for studying adaptive traits in wild ber populations. Despite its importance, systematic evaluation of agro‑morphological and biochemical diversity in this germplasm has been limited. We hypothesized that wild ber landraces evolving under these extreme conditions possess unique morphological resilience and biochemical diversity. To test this, we assessed agro‑morphological variation among 30 collected germplasm Kachchh region of Gujarat using multivariate techniques. Germplasm were sampled across a spatial distance of 170 km mapping the Central and Western Kachchh ber-growing belt. Seventeen morphological and quality traits, including plant height, canopy spread, branch number, leaf area, fruit dimensions, weight, and total soluble solids (TSS), were measured. Descriptive statistics showed broad phenotypic dispersion: plant height ranged from 144 to 455 cm; canopy volume varied from 0.58 to 8.34 m 3 ; leaf area from 1.38 to 9.76 cm 2 , and TSS ranged from 3.40 to 17.50°Brix. Fruit length, width, and 5-fruit weight displayed moderate variability. Principal component analysis reduced the 17 traits to four components, explaining 85.55% of the total variation. PC1 (50.14%) was associated with fruit dimensions and TSS, identifying high-yield and high-quality accessions (Ber_Abda_20 and Ber_Bhuj_30). PC2 (20.50%) contrasted vegetative vigour with fruit size. Hierarchical clustering separated the accessions into four clusters: (1) tall, large-fruited types; (2) a unique accession combining moderate vigour and very large, sweet fruits; (3) compact, small-fruited types; and (4) intermediate vigour and fruit size. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between plant height and canopy volume (r = 0.91) and between fruit weight and size index (r = 0.58), whereas TSS correlated moderately with plant size and fruit dimensions. Overall, the Kachchh ber germplasm displayed considerable morphological and biochemical diversities. The promising accessions Ber_Abda_20, Ber_Bhuj_21, Ber_Bhuj_29, and Ber_Bhuj_30 offer potential for cultivar development and highlight the value of conserving Kachchh’s under-studied genetic resources.