Nutritional profiling and GIS-based grid mapping of Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) germplasm

Abstract

Thirty-two accessions of Coix lacryma-jobi belonging to different parts of North-Eastern India were taken from National Gene Bank at ICAR-NBPGR. Accessions were evaluated for nutritional traits and grid mapped to identify trait-specific germplasm and their geographic relationship. Proximate composition, total soluble sugars, total starch, total phytate in g/100 g, total phenol and antioxidant activity in % GAE, and minerals viz. iron, copper, zinc, and calcium in mg/100 g were estimated. Biochemical parameters like protein (15.9%), crude fat (4.66%), iron (13.6 mg/100 g), zinc (3.61 mg/100 g), and calcium (146 mg/100 g) have been recorded, which was higher than some members of its crop group. Principal component analysis revealed that the biochemical parameters such as starch, phenol, sugar, moisture, and antioxidants contributed significantly to generating diversity. Grid mapping for trait-specific germplasm revealed that high protein accessions could be collected from Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills and Arunachal Pradesh's Dibang valley; high iron and zinc content accessions from Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills; and low phytate content accessions from Nagaland-Manipur and Manipur-Myanmar border areas. IC0089381 and IC0416884 were identified as nutritionally superior accessions that can be used in breeding programs.

Keywords

• Job's tears
• Diversity analysis
• Biochemical
• Principal component analysis
• Mapping