Abstract:
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has gained significant attention in medicine, nutrition, and biotechnology due to its
pharmacological properties and potential therapeutic applications. Since it is vegetatively propagated through
underground rhizomes, the genetic improvement of turmeric is very limited. Screening for superior traits is still
practiced for turmeric since it has a broad, untapped natural variation. Different agronomic traits, directly and
indirectly, determine rhizome yield in turmeric. The present study reveals yield-determining traits of turmeric as
described by correlation coefficients and path coefficients. The yield determinants of turmeric would be useful for
selecting higher yields. Turmeric rhizomes were planted in the field, and data on eleven traits of two hundred
plants were recorded. The research utilized principal component analysis (PCA) and identified three main
components (PC1, PC2, and PC3), which had eigenvalues of 4.157, 3.017, and 1.992, respectively, explaining
76.385% of the total cumulative variability. Plant height is a key factor in determining yield, as it indicates a
strong positive correlation and has a significant direct effect on yield. The number of secondary fingers per plant
was also a considerable factor as it showed a significant positive correlation and considerable direct influence on
yield. The number of mother rhizomes per plant and the length of leaf petiole could still be a viable positive trait
for high-yield as they show a lower direct influence on yield. Leaf blade length is not a good criterion for yield
determinants. These parameters can be utilized in future breeding programs to select high-yielding genotypes.
