MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS, GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND YIELD OF Curcuma aromatica Salisb. ACCESSIONS CULTIVATED IN QUANG NINH PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the morphological characteristics, growth performance and yield of 24 Curcuma aromatica Salisb. accessions collected from six different agro-ecological regions and tested under field conditions in Cam Pha city, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications, with a plot size of 20 m². The results revealed significant differences among accessions for most of the evaluated traits, indicating a high level of genetic diversity within the tested germplasm. Based on morphological traits, growth characteristics, yield components and growth duration, the accessions were classified into two main groups. The long-duration group (285 - 295 days), mainly originating from Cao Bang and Yen Bai provinces, exhibited clear advantages in plant height, dark green foliage, leaf area, biomass accumulation and yield, achieving 19.8 - 21.7 t ha⁻¹. In contrast, the short-duration group (265 - 275 days), originating from Phu Yen and Gia Lai provinces, showed restricted growth, smaller and thinner leaves and lower yields, averaging approximately 15.0 t ha⁻¹. Notably, four accessions from Cao Bang demonstrated stable growth, a higher number of leaves, larger leaf area, superior individual plant yield (1.90 - 2.23 kg clump⁻¹), and a harvested yield of 21.61 t ha⁻¹, which was 18.5% higher than the experimental mean and more than 40% greater than that of accessions from Phu Yen and Gia Lai province. These findings highlight the potential of elite white turmeric accessions and provide a scientific basis for accession selection and large-scale propagation in commercial production.