Morphological diversity and relationship among cashew (Anacardium occidentale L) individuals in three districts of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L), a species belonging to the family Anacardiaceae, has been cultivated throughout most of Indonesia’s areas and has become a priority commodity in Southeast Sulawesi for years. However, the information about its variation on morphology and relationship among individuals are still limited. This study aimed to determine the morphological variations and relationships among cashew individuals in three districts (Konawe, South Konawe, and East Kolaka) of Southeast Sulawesi. As many as ninety individuals were analyzed on 15 morphological variables for the variations and 47 variables using the complete linkage method based on Gower distance for the clustering. The coefficients of variation were varied on all evaluated variables. The highest was the height of main branches (cm), ranging from 47.32 % to 73.72 %. Meanwhile, nut length had the lowest coefficient of variation (6.75%-7.99%). The individuals were divided into two main clusters with two sub-clusters for each cluster.