Graphical analysis of genetic variability in essential oil profiles of <i>Anethum graveolens</i> L.

Abstract

Medicinal and aromatic plants have long played a vital role in health, wellness, and culinary practices. This research aimed to assess the genetic variation in essential oil content and its components among five local landraces of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) from Mashhad, Ardabil, Parsabad, Bushehr, and Esfahan. Essential oil and its composition, including β-pinene, α-terpinene, β-phellandrene, carvacrol, dillapiole, neophytadiene, and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, were analyzed. The drawn biplot explained 90% of the variation, clearly depicting genotype-trait relationships. It revealed both additive and crossover interactions, suggesting that genotype rankings were trait-dependent. Among the evaluated genotypes, Bushehr exhibited the highest essential oil yield and quality, followed by Esfahan, Mashhad, Ardabil, and Parsabad. The strongest positive correlations were observed between β-phellandrene, dillapiole, and essential oil content, while the association between α-terpinene and β-pinene was more intricate and less pronounced. The superior performance of the Bushehr genotype makes it a prime candidate for future breeding initiatives. Furthermore, carvacrol emerged as the most discriminative trait for disticnting among genotype. The study also revealed that increased in essential oil content in A. graveolens was associated with higher production of dillapiole and β-phellandrene, coupled with reduced levels of β-pinene, neophytadiene, and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone.