Pattern of variation for seed characteristics in Turkish populations of Cucurbita moschata Duch

Pumpkins are one of the most important Cucurbit crops in Turkey. For this research, 40 populations of pumpkin, Cucurbita moschata Duch., were collected from different regions of Turkey and variation in seed characters was assessed. The present collection showed appreciable genotypic variation in color, shape, brightness, dimension, and weight of seed. With regard to seed dimensions, populations showed a range of 13.8 - 24.3 mm for seed length, 7.5 - 15.3 mm for seed width, and 1.6 - 4.7 mm for seed thickness. For seed length to thickness ratio and seed width to thickness ratio, populations showed a range of 3.7 - 10.8 and 2.1 - 6.4, respectively. Data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The first two factor axes explained 72.6% of the total multivariate variation. Data were also subjected to cluster analysis. Cluster analysis established the existence of eight groups. A dendrogram was prepared to evaluate seed characters among populations. Each cluster had some unique characteristics and revealed high variation in this study. As a conclusion, the populations evaluated in this study display a wide diversity of seed characters for selection and combination of interesting genotypes for important seed characters in order to obtain improved varieties.