Taro (Colocasia esculenta L.) is an important local crop supporting Indonesia’s food diversification. This study assessed the morphological and genetic diversity of 103 accessions collected from nine districts across low, middle, and high elevations in South Sulawesi. Morphological evaluation employed 34 qualitative and 13 quantitative traits, while genetic variation analysis used 16 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. Cluster and principal component analyses (PCA) revealed wide morphological variation, particularly in leaf and corm traits, but no clear grouping by elevation, suggesting a strong influence of environment and seed exchange practices. ISSR markers displayed high polymorphism (89%–100%), with the primer UBC856 showing the highest informativeness (PIC = 0.426). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated most genetic variation resided within populations (85% at the district level and up to 98% across altitudinal zones), whereas among-population variation was scarce. A molecular dendrogram and PCA supported the absence of distinct genetic structuring by elevation. Overall, the findings imply the shaping of taro diversity is more by vegetative propagation and socio-cultural seed exchange than geographic barriers. These results provide a valuable basis for germplasm conservation, breeding strategies, and the development of improved cultivars to enhance local food security.
Taro (Colocasia esculenta L.), diversity, domestication, ISSR primers, morphological traits, vegetative propagation, geographic isolation
Genetic variation-based morphological traits and ISSR markers emphasize the potential of local taro (C. esculenta L.) germplasm as a crucial genetic resource for breeding cultivars adaptable to diverse agroecological environments.