Genetic variability and stability pattern in vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty)

The vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty) essential oil is obtained from its roots by hydro- or steam distillation. Its oil is used in cosmetics, perfumery and food industries, deodorants, soaps, cold drinks, and toilet articles. The present investigations' objective was to estimate essential oil yielding stability and the identification of environment-specific vetiver genotypes. Testing of genotypes under different years was done using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction model, genotype main effect with the genotype-by-environment interaction, and biplot statistical models for the stability of the essential oil yield. The results from both models showed that the best stable genotypes for the high essential oil were G 10, G 12, G 14, and G 15, respectively. The essential oil of the genotypes, G 10, G 14, and G 15 were rich for khusimol, Khusol, khusimone and khusian-2-ol in G 10; khusilal, α-cedrenal, α-cedrenol, khusol, khusitone in G 14, and khusilal, khusimol, α-cedrenal, α-cedrenol,khusol, khusitone in G 15 along with minor compounds having diverse aromatic characters. The two new compounds, namely, α-cedrenal and α-cedrenol were identified first in the Indian vetiver, while the line G 12 possessed khusilal and khusol as the major compounds. Therefore, these genotypes of vetiver are recommended for commercial exploitation.