An approach to identify stable genotypes based on MTSI and MGDII indexes in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench]

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] is a key vegetable crop in tropical and subtropical regions, exhibiting varying performance across different environmental conditions due to genotype-environment interactions. The present study was aimed at the identification of high performing and stable okra genotypes using the MultiTrait Stability Index (MTSI) and the Multi-Trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI). A total of 42 okra accessions were evaluated over different seasons for 12 morphological traits. MTSI and MGIDI analysis consistently identified four superior genotypes, namely, UAHS-8, UAHS-10, UAHS-11 and UAHS-19, that exhibited stability and high performance across seasons. Key traits contributing to the ideal genotypes included average fruit weight and fruit yield per plant. The molecular diversity analysis revealed significant genetic diversity among the genotypes, with 35 out of 45 SSR markers showing polymorphism and a high average Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) value of 0.69. The comparison between morphological and molecular dendrograms using the tanglegram shows there are overlapping clusters with a low cophenetic correlation, indicating environmental influence on phenotypic traits. Correlation analysis highlighted significant relationships among traits, such as a positive correlation between average fruit weight and fruit yield per plant (r = 0.52). The study underscores the efficacy of MTSI and MGIDI in identifying stable, high performing okra genotypes, providing a robust framework for improving genotype selection and breeding strategies. The combined use of phenotypic and genotypic data enhances the precision of genetic analyses, facilitating the selection of diverse and adaptable okra genotypes for future breeding programs.