Morphological and Fruit-Trait Characterization of Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora ) Germplasm in the Chattogram Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) is an emerging exotic fruit crop with potential for diversification of fruit production in Bangladesh. However, information on the phenotypic characteristics of jaboticaba germplasm under local agro-climatic conditions remains limited. This study characterized and comparatively evaluated three jaboticaba accessions (PC Pah 001, PC Pah 002 and PC Pah 003) grown at the Agricultural Research Station, Pahartali, Chattogram, using vegetative, phenological, quantitative fruit and qualitative fruit descriptors. Plant height ranged from 3.80 to 3.98 m, while canopy spread varied from 3.62 to 4.25 m. Fruit number per plant showed the greatest variability among vegetative and yield-related traits (CV = 22.08%). PC Pah 002 and PC Pah 003 flowered in mid-January and reached harvest maturity in early March, whereas PC Pah 001 flowered in mid-February and was harvested in late March. Individual fruit weight ranged from 5.47 to 10.59 g, with PC Pah 002 producing the largest fruits. Fruit size and peel weight showed relatively greater variability, whereas TSS (14.36–15.47%) and edible portion (60.88–69.98%) were comparatively stable. Qualitative fruit descriptors were largely uniform among accessions. PC Pah 002 showed a desirable combination of large fruit size and early phenology, while PC Pah 001 recorded relatively higher edible portion and TSS. These findings provide a preliminary phenotypic baseline for jaboticaba germplasm in Bangladesh and support further replicated, multi-location evaluation for accession selection, conservation and clonal multiplication.