Evaluation of the agronomic characteristics and nutritional components of 51 Coix lacryma-jobi germplasms in Hunan

To breed Coix lacryma-jobi for feed, 51 germplasm resources were analyzed for their crude protein, crude fiber, ash, crude fat, calcium, phosphorus, fresh grass yield, plant height, stem thickness, and tiller total. Fuzzy membership function, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were used to evaluate these traits, and the following results were obtained. (1) The cumulative contribution rate of the four main factors, namely yield, mineral, crude ash, and crude fat, to the total variation reached 66.16%. (2) The 51 C. lacryma-jobi germplasms were systematically clustered into three categories. Of these, 10 germplasms with high comprehensive quality evaluation scores were selected (Longhui coix, YY03-02, Xiaoheike, YY-37, YY-21, YY17-32, YY17-07, YY03-09, YY17-12, and YY17-03). The present study offers germplasm materials and theoretical support for the selection of C. lacryma-jobi varieties with excellent agronomic and quality traits suitable for production in Hunan.