Morphological Identification of Local Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk.) in Kampung Melayu District, Bengkulu City, Indonesia

Abstract

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk.) is an important tropical fruit crop with high economic and nutritional value. However, documented information on local jackfruit diversity remains limited. This study aimed to identify local jackfruit accessions in Kampung Melayu District, Bengkulu City. The research was conducted from August to December 2025 on 13 jackfruit trees selected purposively from five villages in Kampung Melayu District. Identification was carried out on 37 morphological characters using qualitative and quantitative descriptions based on the guidelines of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). The data were analysed descriptively, and the morphological characters were further analysed through cluster analysis using PBSTAT-CL. Morphological variation was found across all accessions in both vegetative and generative traits. Cluster analysis divided the accessions into two main groups. Group 1 consisted of Kandang Mas and Padang Serai accessions, while Group 2 consisted of Sumber Jaya, Kandang, and Teluk Sepang accessions. Group 1 had irregular and pyramidal canopy shapes, narrow oblong and ovate leaves, fruit weight of 6.3-7.3 kg, flesh weight of 223.1-327.0 g kg-1, total soluble solids of 13-15 °Brix, and flesh colour ranging from pale light yellow to bright yellow. Group 2 had oblong and irregular canopy shapes, oblong and narrow oblong leaves, fruit weight of 9.4-15.5 kg, flesh weight of 464.9-511.9 g kg-1, total soluble solids of 14-21 °Brix, and medium bright yellow flesh. Morphological identification provides preliminary information for documenting local jackfruit variation, supporting germplasm conservation, accession selection, and future breeding programmes in Bengkulu.