ORIGINAL ARTICLE Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 DOI: 10.46265/genresj.NYFM1739 https://www.genresj.org ISSN: 2708-3764 Analysis of passport data of Sechium spp. from the Mexican chayote genebank in Huatusco, Veracruz Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez a,b, Luis A Barrera-Guzmán *,c,b, V́ıctor M Cisneros-Solano c,b, Carlos H Avendaño-Arrazated, Ma. de Lourdes C. Arévalo-Galarza e,b, Kazuo N Watanabe f and Jorge D Cadena-Zamudiod,b a Colegio de Postgraduados Campus San Luis Potośı, Salinas de Hidalgo 78600, San Luis Potośı, México b Interdisciplinary Research Group of Sechium edule in México (GISeM), 56160, Texcoco, Estado de México c Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Centro Regional Universitario Oriente, Carretera Federal Huatusco-Xalapa km. 6.5, C.P. 94100, Veracruz, México d Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agŕıcolas y Pecuarias, Centro Nacional de Recursos Genéticos, Recursos Genéticos. Boulevard de la Biodiversidad 400 Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco, C. P. 47600, México e Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Montecillo, km 36.5 Carr. México-Texcoco, Montecillo 56230, México f Tsukuba Plant Innovation Research Center, Japan Abstract: Chayote (Sechium spp.) (Cucurbitaceae) is a Mesoamerican genus, with Mexico being the primary centre of biodiversity for four species: Sechium compositum, S. chinantlense, S. hintonii and S. edule. Mexico also hosts the only chayote genebank in the world, which follows a taxonomic arrangement for its intraspecific variants. Descriptive and multivariate techniques were used to analyze the passport data of the accessions conserved ex situ aiming to identify associations and similarity patterns to allow efficient management and origin traceability, stakeholder engagement, consumer preferences, destination, use and conservation practices. Results showed that 23% of the accessions belong to S. edule var. virens levis, 62.8% come from backyards, and 58.9% of the S. edule variants are kept and preserved by women. Interestingly, about 70.8% of the accessions are used for trading, and the rest for self-consumption. Multiple correspondence analyses showed that 27.24% of the first two components variation and the variables with the greatest phenotypic contribution were fruit flavour (sweet and bitter), condition of the populations (forest, ruderal-wild, orchard), fruit colour (yellow, light green), small size and flattened shape. The morphological boundaries of S. edule, S. compositum and S. chinantlense variants are defined by the fruit morphology. These findings from passport data analysis support the development of strategies for replacement, regeneration, distinction, genetic improvement, conservation and bioprospective studies. Citation: Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Barrera-Guzmán, L. A., Cisneros-Solano, V. M., Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., Arévalo-Galarza, M. d. L. C., Watanabe, K. N., Cadena-Zamudio, J. D. (2024). Analysis of passport data of Sechium spp. from the Mexican chayote genebank in Huatusco, Veracruz. Genetic Resources 5 (10), 126–138. doi: 10.46265/genresj.NYFM1739. © Copyright 2024 the Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Introduction Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture are the basis of human nutrition, industrial inputs and phar- macologically active ingredients. Cereals, fruits, roots and vegetables contribute significantly to agrobiodi- versity (Bellon et al, 2009). The ex situ conserva- tion of underutilized landraces and wild relatives has ∗Corresponding author: Luis A Barrera-Guzmán (luisangelbg@gmail.com) become a relevant source of unexplored genes, enriching germplasm banks and their use in breeding. Mexico is a megadiverse country, and rural communities manage a wide range of domesticated and semi-domesticated bio- logical variants, cultivated and wild relatives which sig- nificantly increase agrobiodiversity (Casas and Vallejo, 2019). Field collections of species with recalcitrant seeds, such as chayotes (genus Sechium P. Br.), are among the strategies for ex situ conservation of agro- biodiversity. Chayote is an increasingly important veg- etable in international markets, and morphotypes of the Received: 27.08.2024 Accepted: 17.10.2024 Published online: 21.11.2024 https://www.genresj.org https://www.doi.org/10.46265/genresj.NYFM1739 https://www.genresj.org https://www.doi.org/10.46265/genresj.NYFM1739 mailto:luisangelbg@gmail.com Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Mexican chayote collection 127 Mexican clade have gradually been collected (Barrera- Guzmán et al, 2021a). In Mexico, Sechium compositum (Donn. Sm.) C. Jeffrey, S. chinantlense Lira & F. Chiang, S. hintonii (Paul G. Wilson) C. Jeffrey and S. edule (Jacq.) Sw have been recorded as endemic species. Among these, only S. edule is edible since the other three species have bitter-tasting fruits. S. edule, particularly the smooth green var. virens levis variant, is distributed on all continents (Cadena-Iñiguez, 2005). Its success as a vegetable has transcended local markets, becoming an export product (Cadena-Iñiguez and Arévalo-Galarza, 2011). Different studies highlight S. edule as a species with notable intraspecific diversity, contributing to the feeding and rural local economy (Aguirre-Medina et al, 2021). However, most published research only mentions S. edule without specifying the biological variant. For example, Dire et al (2003), Setzer and Setzer (2003), Ordoñez et al (2006), Loizzo et al (2016), Vieira et al (2019), among others, do not specify the variants studied, making it challenging to reproduce their findings. Lira et al (1999) performed a grouping analysis of edible morphotypes of S. edule and another for a wild type, without distinguishing or specifying the variation. This makes conservation actions difficult since morphotypes must be identified by some taxonomic method to be included in genebanks. In this case, the popular common name is not appropriate. Morphological, anatomical, biochemical and genetic studies, carried out by various authors (Donato et al, 1994; Cadena-Iñiguez, 2005; Cadena-Iñiguez and Arévalo-Galarza, 2011; Iñiguez et al, 2011; Avendaño- Arrazate et al, 2012; Machida-Hirano et al, 2015; Barrera-Guzmán et al, 2021a,b; Iñiguez-Luna et al, 2021), have shown that there are stability, heritability and uniformity traits that allow the distinction of S. edule variants, which facilitate their conservation, man- agement and research. These traits confer different and desirable characteristics for its use as food (Cadena- Iñiguez et al, 2013a; Aguiñiga-Sánchez et al, 2015, 2017; Salazar-Aguilar et al, 2017). Genebanks are cru- cial to avoiding diversity loss and maintaining this agrobiodiversity. In 2005, the National Germplasm Bank for Sechium edule (BANGESe) was founded to preserve endemic species and biological variants. To achieve this, fruits were collected from 12 Mexican states, as well as from Guatemala and Costa Rica. Currently, the BANGESe safeguards more than 300 accessions in a field collection since Sechium seeds are recalcitrant and do not respond to traditional conservation meth- ods (Ramı́rez-Rodas et al, 2021). The accessions are conserved in a taxonomic arrange- ment following the principles by (Stace, 1986) and adapted for S. edule. It integrates morphotypes as vari- etal groups that possess stable, heritable characteristics and fertile offspring. These varietal groups are albus minor, a. levis, a. dulcis and a. spinosum for plants with yellow, smooth and prickly fruits. For fruits with dark green epidermis with and without thorns are nigrum minor, n. conus, n. levis, n. xalapensis, n. spinosum and n. maxima. The morphotype virens levis, the most widely distributed in the world, reports light green fruit without spines, while the only representative with bitter fruits of S. edule is the amarus sylvestris morphotype. The above taxonomic nomenclature has facilitated the han- dling, distribution and distinction of accessions, allow- ing research, bioprospecting, breeding and preservation activities. As in many germplasm collections, BANGESe acces- sions come from direct collection from the areas of origin, distribution and domestication, as well as from donations by rural inhabitants who have locally safe- guarded agrobiodiversity for a particular interest. This raises several important questions related to the man- agement, design and regeneration strategies of these resources. For example: Which of the Sechium vari- etal groups have the broadest geographical distribution? Which biological variants (morphotypes) are the most important in terms of consumer preferences and what characteristics drive this? What is the origin of the acces- sions, and what implications does this have for their con- servation? Which stakeholders are most engaged with conservation efforts? What are the primary uses of the fruits? How does the distribution of varietal groups vary with altitude? Finally, what are the morphological traits of the fruits that facilitate their visual distinction? Genebanks are long-term conservation centres of genetic resources, especially to preserve agrobiodiver- sity. However, without thorough characterization and documentation of the accessions, making informed deci- sions about conservation, research, genetic improve- ment and potential use is challenging (Weise et al, 2020). Since Sechium is a cross-pollinated plant, asex- ual methods of multiplication are used to preserve the genetic identity of the accessions. The most successful are grafting, rooting of cuttings, and in vitro multiplica- tion (Figure 1). Materials and methods Location of the genebank and passport data The National Germplasm Bank of Sechium edule (BANGESe) is located in Huatusco, Veracruz, Mexico (19◦ 08’ 48” N, and 97◦ 57’ 00” W). The vegetation type is mountain cloud forest (altitude of 1,340 masl), with a mean annual temperature of 19–22◦C, 85–90% relative humidity, and 2,250mm mean annual precipitation. The soils are vitric luvisol, rich in organic matter, low calcium and high iron, manganese and zinc nutrients, with moderate fertility, coarse texture and volcanic glass fragments (pH 4.3–6.5). The current area of the genebank covers 3ha. Because chayote is a climbing plant, accessions are kept in a metal net- like support structure at a 2.2m height. The accessions are introduced into the genebank as ±20cm plants, obtained by direct sampling, donation or purchase from rural inhabitants. Sechium plants are cross-pollinated. To maintain the genetic identity of each accession, asexual 128 Cadena-Iñiguez et al Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Figure 1. Methods of regeneration and asexual multiplication of Sechium spp. accessions. a) In vitro multiplication, b-c) grafting and c) callus emission, training sites and emission of roots from the use of regulators of growth. multiplication techniques such as grafting, rooting of three-node cuttings, and in vitro multiplication are employed. Statistical analysis The passport data in BANGESe include georeferenced and taxonomic data, origin, morphological characteris- tics of fruits and seeds, biological status and ethnob- otanical information, following the descriptor guide for S. edule varieties (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2017). Passport details can be found at Bangermex (https://bangerme x.snics.gob.mx/bancos). The information was analyzed with the Rstudio software (R Core Team, 2023). Out of a total of 309 accessions, only 231 were analyzed, since 78 were excluded being genetic segregants from the hybridization programme. Graphic analysis was per- formed with tidyverse (Wickham et al, 2019) to assess the proportion of varietal complexes regarding their ori- gin, type of establishment (orchard, backyard, ruderal) and owner/donor. Additionally, the central tendency and dispersion statistics of the altitude variable were eval- uated to know any pattern related to the distribution ranges at which Sechium varietal complexes develop. Qualitative variables were studied by multiple corre- spondence analysis (MCA) with FactoMineR (Lê et al, 2008) and factoextra (Kassambara and Mundt, 2020). To calculate the eigenvectors, eigenvalues and the graph of each variable’s contribution to the components, the same statistics used for the MCA were employed. Results Descriptive analysis BANGESe contains 231 accessions representing the intraspecific variability of S. edule in 12 varietal complexes: albus dulcis, albus levis, albus minor, albus spinosum, amarus sylvestris, nigrum conus, nigrum levis, nigrum maxima, nigrum minor, nigrum spinosum, nigrum xalapensis and virens levis. Also, there are four accessions of S. chinantlense, 12 of S. compositum and two of S. hintonii (the latter was not analyzed). The virens levis, n. spinosum and n. xalapensis varietal complexes are the most represented in the collection (Figure 2a). The major diversity of S. edule in Mexico is found in the state of Veracruz, with 110 accessions (47.6% of the total) (Figure 2b). Of the 231 accessions, 62.8% were collected from backyards and 23.3% from commercial orchards, while S. compositum, S. chinantlense and S. edule var. amarus sylvestris came from ruderal and forest areas (Figure 2c). Some accessions of virens levis, n. spinosum and n. xalapensis were from Costa Rica (CR) and Guatemala (Guat) (Figure 3). It is well known that women play a key role in vegetable cultivation and plant breeding in domestic orchards. Our data showed that women managed 58.9% of the S. edule accessions, all of which are edible. Wild accessions are outside the interest of men and women; however, their conservation in genebanks is important due to their phytochemical potential for pharmacological use and as sources of genes for genetic improvement in the face of new challenges. The varietal complexes virens levis, nigrum xalapensis, n. spinosum, n. levis and albus dulcis were identified as man-enterprise, due to their large-scale commercialization. The 70.8% of the varietal complexes are cultivated for commercial purposes, while 29.2% are used for self-consumption, mainly focusing on fruit. This is especially relevant for the lesser-known variants, highlighting their potential to open new markets. The virens and nigrum groups are mainly used for commercialization, while albus is used for self-consumption. Bitter-flavoured varieties are generally not used by rural stakeholders (Figure 4). Sechium sp. can be found at altitudes from 1,200–3,376m, due to its plasticity, which allows it to adapt to conditions different from its original habi- tat in mesophyll forests (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2008). The highest average altitude for nigrum spinosum was 1,993m. Outliers’ presence affects some central ten- dency measures such as the mean, and some popula- tions of the varietal complexes appear far from their optimal ranges for each specific variety. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) For this analysis, the phenotypic variables of fruits were included (colour, presence/absence of thorns, size, Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Mexican chayote collection 129 Figure 2. Composition of the Sechium collection at BANGESe. (a) Number of accessions per varietal group of S. edule, S. compositum and S. chinantlense; (b) Geographical origin of the accessions; (c) Sampling locations. flavour and shape). The first two principal components explained 27.24% of the total obtained variation. Table 1 shows the eigenvalues and eigenvectors, respectively. For principal components 1 and 2 (PC1 and PC2), the variables contributing the most were fruit flavour, populations condition (forest, ruderal-wild and orchard), fruit colour (yellow and light green), small fruit size and flattened shape. The distribution of the accessions depended on the environmental conditions. Accessions of S. compositum, S. chinantlense and S. edule var. amarus sylvestris were distributed in wild and ruderal-wild forms. The virens levis complex was primarily found in orchard conditions and is the most commercially important variety of S. edule. The yellow-fruited varietal complexes were generally found in backyards. Ownership patterns indicate that the virens levis varietal group was more Figure 3. Proportion and distribution of Sechium edule varietal groups in the BANGESe collection according to place of origin of Sechium germplasm. CR, Costa Rica; Guat, Guatemala. often associated with male farmers, while female tended to maintain the albus and nigrum groups. Regarding fruit colour, most accessions exhibited various shades of green, except for the albus group, which had yellow fruits (Figure 5a). Figure 5b shows that all accessions of amarus sylvestris (AW), nigrum spinosum (NS) and albus spinosum (AS) had thorns on their fruits. This is relevant, considering that the wild ancestor S. edule (wild type) is dark green, bitter and densely spiny, suggesting that consumer preference is for smooth fruits and neutral or sweet flavour. The fruit size of the chayote is highly variable, ranging from very large (15–22cm), medium (6–10cm), and small (3–4cm) (Figure 6a). Regarding flavour, the ellipses show a very noticeable separation, revealing that the fruits of S. chinantlense, S. compositum and amarus sylvestris are bitter, a trait attributed to their tetracyclic triterpenes content, mainly cucurbitacins (Aguiñiga- Sánchez et al, 2015, 2017; Salazar-Aguilar et al, 2017). Fruits of the albus group have a slightly sweet flavour (7.6–8.1◦Brix), while nigrum (4.9–6.4◦Brix) and virens groups have a neutral flavour (5.1◦Brix) (Figure 6b) (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2007; Cadena-Iñiguez and Arévalo-Galarza, 2011). Cucurbitacins are secondary metabolites of triterpene origin that give a bitter taste to plants (root, guides, leaves, and fruits) and have been recorded in all Sechium species in the BANGESe, although with notable differences in concentration and type of compound (aglycones and glycosides). For instance, the albus group contains one-hundredth of the triterpenes levels found in wild species, and ten times less than nigrum (Uriostegui, 2014; Iñiguez-Luna et al, 2021). Fruit shape is highly variable and it is difficult to establish a clear grouping pattern (Figure 7); however, the commercially preferred shape is pyriform, which is the shape of virens levis and is the basis of the international standard Codex-Stan-83-993 (pyriform 130 Cadena-Iñiguez et al Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Figure 4. Relationship between stakeholders and conservation of Sechium edule, S. chinantlense and S. compositum of the Sechium germplasm collection at BANGESe; a) the conservation methods/users and b) the use of the accessions. Table 1. Eigenvalues and variance are explained for the first ten components of the MCA. PC, principal component. Component Eigenvalue Variance (%) Cumulative variance (%) PC 1 0.49 15.50 15.50 PC 2 0.42 13.48 28.98 PC 3 0.30 9.48 38.46 PC 4 0.24 7.79 46.24 PC 5 0.20 6.49 52.74 PC 6 0.19 6.16 58.90 PC 7 0.18 5.82 64.72 PC 8 0.16 5.20 69.92 PC 9 0.15 4.82 74.73 PC 10 0.15 4.70 79.44 fruits, light green colour, smooth without thorns and grooves, 12–15cm long, 8–10cm equatorial width, 270–310g, neutral flavour, and free of pathogens). The pyriform shape may be a derivation of continued selection by cultivars, as the S. edule fruits of the wild type (ancestor) are small and ovate (Figure 8). Morphological boundaries Establishing morphological limits in intraspecific com- plexes is relatively difficult, since it requires to deter- mine whether distinctive traits are stable and herita- ble. Variation in plants may be continuous (clinal) or discontinuous, consisting of distinct morphotypes or races (Styles, 1986). In Sechium, variation is clinal since it shows a gradient that allows any character to take values between two extremes (Cadena-Iñiguez, 2005). Environmental factors, including numerous physical, chemical and biological sub-variables, induce this vari- ation by exerting extra pressure on the differentiation process, enabling organisms to express a sufficiently sat- isfactory plasticity response for survival. For example, in S. edule and S. compositum, fruit shape and size vary according to altitude, with accessions from lower ele- vations (60m) producing round and small fruits, while those from higher elevations (200m) produce medium pyriform fruits in evergreen forests. Figure 9 shows the morphological limits based on fruit shape, which helps to distinguish the varietal complexes of S. edule, S. chi- nantlense and S. compositum, based on the colour of the epidermis, spines, shape and size. Discussion The preference in the consumption of chayote varietal groups is based on the physical and chemical charac- teristics of its fruits. In Mexico, the most present in the markets are virens levis, nigrum xalapensis and nigrum spinosum, the latter recently introduced in the United States. For these markets, fruits are harvested at horti- cultural maturity (Aung et al, 1990) and have a watery consistency, neutral flavour and little fibre content. In regional markets, fruit with higher starch content in the endocarp, such as albus, or physiologically mature green fruits, are preferred. This promotes unconscious conser- vation actions in backyards by women, who determine the type of chayote to be used in the diet. Their deci- sion to either conserve a single morphotype or diversify indirectly leads to reproductive isolation and inbreed- ing selection, which helps to fix characters and make them stable and heritable or may induce spontaneous crosses (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2010). Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Mexican chayote collection 131 Figure 5. Multiple correspondence analysis for A) Fruit colour, and B) Fruit texture variables on Sechium germplasm. AL, albus levis; AS, albus spinosum; AW, S. edule var. amarus sylvestris; NC, nigrum conus; NM, nigrum maxima; Nm, nigrum minor; NS, nigrum spinosum; NX, nigrum xalapensis; Sci, S. chinantlense; Sco, S. compositum; VL, virens levis. PC, principal component. Women play a key role in the conservation of plant genetic resources mainly through the management of family orchards, where these resources are used for food and sometimes for local sale. Local marketing or exchange of backyard surpluses allows genetic diversity to flow at the regional level (Watson and Eyzaguirre, 2002). When phytogenetic resources are used for human consumption, strong selection pressures arise. For chayote, the preference tends to converge on green fruits with neutral or sweet flavour and low fibre, although preferences for fruits with starchy consistency (albus group) have also been identified (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2010). The first wild populations of S. edule evolved in mesophyll forests, producing dark green, spiny and bitter fruits (Lira, 1996). This type of vegetation is conducive to intraspecific variation in S. edule (Iñiguez et al, 2011). Mesophilic forests, distributed across the highlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Norte de Chiapas and Sierra Madre del Sur, range from 600–3,100m in altitude, with annual precipitation of 1,000-3,000mm, and temperatures ranging between 12–23◦C (Ruiz-Jiménez et al, 2012). Along with natural and artificial selections, migratory routes also cause variations in fruit colour and flavour. When wild populations of S. edule spread to low sub- evergreen forests, greater irradiance led to a change in chlorophyll content (Iñiguez et al, 2011), giving rise to some varietal complexes such as virens levis and those of the nigrum group. In the high plateaus and high valleys, it is common to find thorny green varietal complexes. In medium evergreen and low deciduous forest vegetation types, leaves and fruits began to change in colour and shape, later giving rise to varietal complexes of the albus group, where the fruits have low chlorophyll and cucurbitacin content but high carotenoid and ascorbic acid content (Iñiguez et al, 2011), presumably for photoprotection, since these fruits have high stomata density (Ramı́rez-Rodas et al, 2021). Also, the derivation of yellow fruits is strongly influenced by selection pressures. Valenta et al (2018) indicate that fruit colour plays an important role in seed dispersal and can be considered an evolutionary signal in plants. A contrast between leaf and fruit colour is important for zoochory success. In this regard, Iñiguez et al (2011) mention that yellow chayotes are considered the most evolved in terms of their environmental adaptation. MCA of the fruit size shows that this variable tends to be dynamic. Wild populations of S. edule, S. chinantlense and S. compositum have relatively small fruits (Figure 9) and bitter taste. The latter is related to bi-1 and Bt-1 genes, which confer bitter taste to leaves and 132 Cadena-Iñiguez et al Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Figure 6. Multiple correspondence analysis for the variables A) Size, and B) Flavour of fruit on Sechium germplasm. Sco, S. compositum; Sci, S. chinantlense; AW, S. edule var. amarus sylvestris; VL, virens levis; NM, nigrum maxima; Nm, nigrum minor; NX, nigrum xalapensis; NC, nigrum conus; NS, nigrum spinosum; AL, albus levis; AS, albus spinosum, PC, principal component. fruits (Valenta et al, 2018). Subsequently, with recurrent selection, this characteristic is reduced. In Sechium spp., the bitter taste is influenced by the concentration of cucurbitacins, higher in wild populations, and has applications in pharmacology particularly in cancer treatment (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2013b; Rosado-Pérez et al, 2019). Numerous examples illustrate the role of rural women in conserving plant diversity in home gardens for family food, which in turn supports broader biodiversity. In Indonesia, Elfrida et al (2020) recorded the conservation of 39 fruit plant species of 23 genera and 17 botanical families by women. Other studies such as Tefera and Kim (2019) demonstrated the diversity of medicinal plants conserved by rural families in Ethiopia (52 families and 96 genera). Rural women are critical to conserving local knowledge, encompassing beliefs, medicine, food and economic livelihood. Conservation behaviour often arises from culture rather than formal education. Ondiba and Matsui (2021) mention that, from a sample of rural women surveyed, 98% expressed motivation to obtain economic income through acts of conservation, and 88% expressed a commitment to environmental conservation. George and Christopher (2020) recorded the high species diversity in home orchards in Kerala, India; others, such as Zhang et al (2020) documented the plants and their local function, highlighting that altitude could be the most important variable that determines the composition of home gardens in China. Galluzzi et al (2010) reported the importance of home orchards in safeguarding agrobiodiversity, which reflects a complex structure. According to the passport data, the variability of Sechium accessions in BANGESe is mainly attributed to the actions of rural women in home gardens or backyards, despite conservation not being their conscious objective. However, and for the reasons documented in the passport data, aspects such as self-consumption, local trade, medicinal and ancestry uses, have fostered a wide agrobiodiversity, mainly determined by these plants’ value as food. An important aspect that interacts with conservation, agrobiodiversity, bioprospective research, new appli- cations, industry, rural players, home orchards and genebanks, are international treaties. The Nagoya Pro- tocol (CBD, 2011) addresses several of these aspects and seeks, as far as possible, a fair and equitable dis- tribution of benefits to the stakeholders that have safe- guarded agrobiodiversity or have enriched collections in genebanks. In this regard, the analysis of passport data is a useful tool for identifying potential beneficia- ries for bioprospective research and products over the Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Mexican chayote collection 133 Figure 7. Multiple correspondence analysis for the fruit shape variable of Sechium germplasm in the BANGESe collection. Sco, S. compositum, Sci, S. chinantlense; AW, S. edule var. amarus sylvestris; VL, virens levis; NM, nigrum maxima; Nm, nigrum minor; NX, nigrum xalapensis; NC, nigrum conus; NS, nigrum spinosum; AL, albus levis; AS, albus spinosum, PC, principal component. Figure 8. Colour, shape and fruit size variation in Sechium compositum (a and b, 6.0–8.0cm), S. chinantlense (c, 5.0–6.0cm), S. edule (wild type: d, 5.0–6.0cm) and S. edule var. amarus sylvestris (e, 6.5–7.0cm). medium or long term. Varshney et al (2020) proposed a 5G approach to conserved agrobiodiversity: Genome of each crop species, Genomically and agronomically characterized germplasm, Gene function identification, Genomic breeding methodologies, and finally Gene edit- ing. This approach is a desirable strategy for germplasm collections; however, it does not consider the partic- ipation of rural stakeholders, whose ancestral knowl- edge and practices have helped maintain high agro- biodiversity. Therefore, analyzing passport information is key to designing strategies for replacing and regen- erating genotypes in ex situ collections, as well as for designing shared conservation models with rural stake- holders. Such models could include morpho-anatomical, phytochemical, genomic and agronomic characteriza- tion lines, as well as bioprospective studies to explore new applications and benefits. These efforts could also support descriptor guides for legal registration of new plant varieties or facilitate compliance with interna- tional treaties and material transfer agreements. Wild populations with small, dark green fruits, thorns and bitter taste were the promoters of the morpho- logical diversity that is currently known of S. edule. However, there is also evidence of introgression and hybridization with the species S. compositum and S. chi- nantlense (Barrera-Guzmán et al, 2021a). Conserving this valuable resource begins with evaluating and char- acterizing genetic variability through morphological and molecular markers, as well as establishing evolutionary relationships among wild, cultivated populations and related species (Cadena-Iñiguez et al, 2007). Ecology studies in conjunction with ecological niche models also provide information on species adaptability, highlighting 134 Cadena-Iñiguez et al Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Figure 9. Colour, shape and fruit size variation in varietal complex of Sechium edule; a) albus dulcis (6.2–7.0cm), b) albus levis (6.0–7.0cm), c) albus minor (3.0–3.5cm), d) albus spinosum (13–16cm), e) nigrum conus (5.5–7.5cm), f) nigrum levis (5.7–7.0cm), g) nigrum maxima (16–22cm), h) nigrum minor (3.0–3.5cm), i) nigrum spinosum (10–16.5cm), j) nigrum xalapensis (15–17.5cm) and k) virens levis (13–16cm). Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Mexican chayote collection 135 potential areas for conservation and zones threatened by climate change. The study of biodiversity is also an incentive for par- ticipatory genetic improvement programmes of chay- ote, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange between researchers and farmers. This encourages the continuous planting of native varieties or populations in traditional plots, and economic support and public poli- cies are essential to maximize these efforts. Additionally, awareness campaigns are needed to inform the popula- tion about the importance of chayote as a plant genetic resource (Aguiñiga-Sánchez et al, 2017). It is important to highlight that cytological informa- tion is missing or scarce in many accessions both in chromosome number and ploidy level as well as nuclear amount. The chromosomal level variegation such as translocation or inversion could explain species incom- patibility (Olvera-Vazquez et al, 2019). Conclusion The morphological diversity of S. edule lies mainly in fruit characters, where traits such as bitterness, the presence of thorns and a dark green colour are representative of wild populations. Geographical and cultural richness also influence crop diversification, and the mountainous areas of Veracruz offer the ideal habitat for growth and development of new varieties. Women play a vital role in the conservation of native chayote populations through backyard cultivation. S. chinantlense and S. compositum are species related to S. edule, and from which important advances are being made in the production of cucurbitacins for the pharmaceutical sector. Data availability statement To facilitate access to the data from our chayote germplasm collection, information on how interested researchers can get full access is provided below. The data is hosted in our online database, which is accessible upon request. Researchers interested in accessing the full dataset can do so by contacting the corresponding author and providing a brief description of the intended use of the data. In addition, access requests will be reviewed to ensure proper use in accordance with established ethical guidelines for the conservation and research of plant genetic resources. Our goal is to support collaborative research efforts and encourage studies that expand the knowledge and utilization of this important collection of germplasm. Authors contribution Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez y Luis A. Barrera-Guzmán wrote the article and performed the statistical analysis of the database; V́ıctor M. Cisneros-Solano, the curator of the genebank, provided the information on the morphological aspects of the collection; Carlos H. Avendaño-Arrazate, Ma. de Lourdes C. Arévalo-Galarza, Kazuo N. Watanabe and Jorge D. Cadena-Zamudio, who have been developing the database over the years, also contributed to the discussion of this research. Conflict of interest statement The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. References Aguiñiga-Sánchez, I., Cadena-́Iñiguez, J., Santiago- Osorio, E., Gómez-Garćıa, G., Mendoza-Núñez, V. M., Rosado-Pérez, J., Rúız-Ramos, M., Cisneros-Solano, V. M., Ledesma-Mart́ınez, E., De, J. D.-B. A., and Soto- Hernández, R. M. (2017). Chemical analyses and in vitro and in vivo toxicity of fruit methanol extract of Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum. Pharm Biol 55(1), 1638–1645. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/ 13880209.2017.1316746 Aguiñiga-Sánchez, I., Soto-Hernández, M., Cadena- Iñiguez, J., del M Rúız-Posadas, L., Cadena-Zamudio, J. D., González-Ugarte, A. K., Steider, B. W., and Santiago-Osorio, E. (2015). Fruit extract from a Sechium edule hybrid induce apoptosis in leukemic cell lines but not in normal cells. Nutr Cancer 67(2), 250–257. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581. 2015.989370 Aguirre-Medina, J. F., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Olgúın- Hernández, G., Aguirre-Cadena, J. F., and Andrade- Luna, M. I. (2021). Co-Inoculation of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. Plants with Rhizophagus intraradices and Azospirillum brasilense to reduce Phytophthora capsici damage. Agriculture 11(5), 391. doi: https: //doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11050391 Aung, L. H., Ball, A., and Kushad, M. (1990). Developmental and nutritional aspects of chayote (Sechium edule, Cucurbitaceae). Econ Bot 44(2), 157– 164. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860483 Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Arévalo- Galarza, M. L., Cisneros-Solano, V. M., Aguirre- Medina, J. F., Del, C. M.-P. E., Cortés-Cruz, M., Castillo-Mart́ınez, C. R., and Ramı́rez-Vallejo, P. (2012). Genetic variation of an infraspecific chayote complex evaluated by isoenzimatic systems. Pesqui Agropecu Bras 47(2), 244–252. doi: https://doi.org/ 10.1590/S0100-204X2012000200013 Barrera-Guzmán, L. A., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Legaria- Solano, J. P., and Sahagún-Castellanos, J. (2021a). Phylogenetics of the genus Sechium P. Brown: A review. Span J Agric Res 19(1), e07R01. doi: https: //doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2021191-17036 Barrera-Guzmán, L. A., Legaria-Solano, J. P., Cadena- Iñiguez, J., and Sahagún-Castellanos, J. (2021b). Phylogenetic relationships among Mexican species of the genus Sechium (Cucurbitaceae). Turk J Bot 45(4), 302–314. doi: https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-2007-18 Bellon, M. R., Barrientos-Priego, A. F., Colunga-Garćıa, P., Perales, H., Reyes-Agüero, J. A., Rosales-Serna, R., Conabio, Z.-V. D. ., and Doi, M. (2009). Diversidad y conservación de recursos genéticos en plantas cultivadas. In Capital natural de México, CONABIO, https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2017.1316746 https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2017.1316746 https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2015.989370 https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2015.989370 https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11050391 https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11050391 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860483 https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-204X2012000200013 https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-204X2012000200013 https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2021191-17036 https://doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2021191-17036 https://doi.org/10.3906/bot-2007-18 136 Cadena-Iñiguez et al Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 México. doi: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.5040. 5922. Cadena-Iñiguez, J. (2005). Caracterización morfoestruc- tural, fisiológica, qúımica y genética de diferentes tipos de chayote (Sechium edule). Doctoral, Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo. Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Arévalo-Galarza, L., Soto- Hernández, M., Avendaño-Arrazate, C., Ruiz-Posadas, L., Santiago-Osorio, E., Ramos, M., Cisneros, V., and Medina, J. A. (2007). Production, genetics, posthar- vest management and pharmacological characteristics of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. In Fresh Produce. url: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3405150 83 Production genetics postharvest management an d pharmacological characteristics of Sechium edule Jacq Sw . Cadena-Iñiguez, J. and Arévalo-Galarza, M. L. C. (2011). Las variedades de Chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.) y su comercio mundial (Montecillo, Texcoco: bba). Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., Cisneros- Solano, V. M., Arévalo-Galarza, M., Rúız-Posadas, L., Aguirre-Medina, J. F., and Watanabe, K. N. (2017). Gúıa de descriptores varietales de Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. para la protección legal de su variación (México: Colegio de Postgraduados-GISeM). Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., Cisneros- Solano, V. M., and Campos-Rojas, E. (2010). El chay- ote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw., importante recurso fitogenético mesoamericano. AgroProductividad 3(2), 3–10. url: https://revista-agroproductividad. org/index.php/agroproductividad/article/view/589. Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., Soto- Hernández, M., Ruiz-Posadas, L. M., Aguirre-Medina, J. F., and Arévalo-Galarza, L. (2008). Infraspecific variation of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. in the state of Veracruz. Genet Resour Crop Evol 55(6), 835–847. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-007-9288-4 Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Soto-Hernández, M., Arévalo- Galarza, M., Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., and Aguirre- Medina, J. F. (2013a). Modelos de mejoramiento genético participativo en chayote (Sechium spp). Edi- torial del Colegio de Postgraduados, Montecillo, Tex- coco. Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Soto-Hernández, M., Torres-Salas, A., Aguiñiga-Sánchez, I., Rúız-Posadas, L., Rivera- Mart́ınez, A. R., Avendaño-Arrazate, C. H., and Santiago-Osorio, E. (2013b). The antiproliferative effect of chayote varieties (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.) on tumor cell lines. JMPR 7(8), 455–460. doi: https: //doi.org/10.5897/JMPR12.866 Casas, A. and Vallejo, M. (2019). Agroecoloǵıa y Agro- biodiversidad. In Crisis ambiental en México. Ruta para el cambio, Universidad Autónoma de México, México, 99-117. url: https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/335526491 Agroecologia y agrobiodiver sidad. CBD (2011). Nagoya protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization to the Con- vention on Biological Diversity. Montreal, Canada. url: https://www.cbd.int/abs/doc/protocol/nagoya- protocol-en.pdf. Dire, G., Lima, E., Gomes, M. L., and Bernardo-Filho, M. (2003). The effect of a chayote (Sechium edule) Extracts (decoct and macerated) on the labeling of blood elements with technetium- 9m and on the biodistribution of the radiopharmaceutical sodium pertechnetate in mice: an In vitro and In vivo Analysis. Pak J Nutr . doi: https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2003. 221.227 Donato, D., Cequea, M., and H (1994). A cytogenetic study of six cultivars of the chayote, Sechium edule Sw. (Cucurbitaceae). J Hered 85(3), 238–241. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered. a111444 Elfrida, E., Mubarak, A., and Suwardi, A. B. (2020). Short communication: The fruit plant species diver- sity in the home gardens and their contribution to the livelihood of communities in rural area. Biodi- versitas 21(8). doi: https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/ d210833 Galluzzi, G., Eyzaguirre, P., and Negri, V. (2010). Home gardens: neglected hotspots of agrobiodiversity and cultural diversity. Biodivers Conserv 19(13), 3635–3654. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531- 010-9919-5 George, M. V. and Christopher, G. (2020). Structure, diversity, and utilization of plant species in tribal home gardens of Kerala, India. Agroforest Syst 94(1), 297–307. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019- 00393-5 Iñiguez, J. C., Hernández, M. S., de L Arévalo Galarza, M., Arrazate, C. H. A., Medina, J. F. A., and del M Ruiz Posadas, L. (2011). Biochemical characterization of domesticated varieties of chayote Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. fruits compared to wild relatives. Rev Chapingo Ser Hortic 17(spe2), 45–55. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2011.17.044 Iñiguez-Luna, M. I., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Soto- Hernández, R. M., Morales-Flores, F. J., Cortes- Cruz, M., Watanabe, K. N., Machida-Hirano, R., and Cadena-Zamudio, J. D. (2021). Bioprospecting of Sechium spp. varieties for the selection of characters with pharmacological activity. Sci Rep 11(1), 6185. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85676-7 Kassambara, A. and Mundt, F. (2020). factoex- tra: Extract and Visualize the Results of Multivari- ate Data Analyses. url: https://rpkgs.datanovia.com/ factoextra/. Lê, S., Josse, J., and Husson, F. (2008). FactoMineR: An R package for multivariate analysis. J Stat Softw 25(1), 1–18. doi: https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v025. i01 Lira, R. (1996). Chayote, Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.. Promoting the Conservation and Use of Underutilized and Neglected Crops n.8 (Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research ; International Plant https://revista-agroproductividad.org/index.php/agroproductividad/article/view/589 https://revista-agroproductividad.org/index.php/agroproductividad/article/view/589 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-007-9288-4 https://doi.org/10.5897/JMPR12.866 https://doi.org/10.5897/JMPR12.866 https://www.cbd.int/abs/doc/protocol/nagoya-protocol-en.pdf https://www.cbd.int/abs/doc/protocol/nagoya-protocol-en.pdf https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2003.221.227 https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2003.221.227 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111444 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111444 https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d210833 https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d210833 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9919-5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9919-5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00393-5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00393-5 http://dx.doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2011.17.044 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85676-7 https://rpkgs.datanovia.com/factoextra/ https://rpkgs.datanovia.com/factoextra/ https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v025.i01 https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v025.i01 Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Mexican chayote collection 137 Genetic Resources Institute). url: https://hdl.handle. net/10568/104273. Lira, R., Castrejón, J., Zamudio, S., and Rojas-Zenteno, C. (1999). Propuesta de ubicación taxonómica para los chayotes silvestres (Sechium edule, Cucur- bitaceae) de México. Acta Bot Mex (49), 47–61. doi: https://doi.org/10.21829/abm49.1999.838 Loizzo, M. R., Bonesi, M., Menichini, F., Tenuta, M. C., Leporini, M., and Tundis, R. (2016). Antioxidant and carbohydrate-hydrolysing enzymes potential of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz (Cucurbitaceae) peel, leaves and pulp fresh and processed. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 71(4), 381–387. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11130-016-0571-4 Machida-Hirano, R., Cortés-Cruz, M., González, B., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Shirata, K., and Watanabe, K. N. (2015). Isolation and characterization of novel microsatellite markers in chayote. Am J Plant Sci 6(13), 720–726. doi: https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps. 2015.613203 Olvera-Vazquez, S. G., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Gilani, S. A., and Watanabe, K. N. (2019). The cytological studies on neglected and underutilized cucurbit species with special reference to chayote, an under-exploited species. Am J Plant Sci 10(8), 1261–1279. doi: https: //doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2019.108091 Ondiba, H. A. and Matsui, K. (2021). Drivers of environmental conservation activities among rural women around the Kakamega forest, Kenya. Kenya. Environ Dev Sustain 23(7), 10666–10678. doi: https: //doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-01077-2 Ordoñez, A., Gomez, J. D., Vattuone, M. A., and Lsla, M. I. (2006). Antioxidant activities of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz extracts. Food Chem 97(3), 452– 458. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005. 05.024 R Core Team (2023). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statisti- cal Computing, Vienna, Austria. url: http://www.r- project.org/. Ramı́rez-Rodas, Y., Arévalo-Galarza, L., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Delgado-Alvarado, A., Ruiz-Posadas, L., Soto- Hernández, M., Ramı́rez-Rodas, Y., Arévalo-Galarza, L., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Delgado-Alvarado, A., Ruiz- Posadas, L., and Soto-Hernández, M. (2021). Posthar- vest storage of three chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw.) varieties . Sci Agrop 12(2), 239–247. doi: https: //doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2021.027 Rosado-Pérez, J., Aguiñiga-Sánchez, I., Santiago-Osorio, E., and Mendoza-Núñez, V. M. (2019). Effect of Sechium edule var. nigrum spinosum (Chayote) on oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory markers in older adults with metabolic syndrome: An Exploratory Study. Antioxidants 8(5), 146–146. doi: https://doi. org/10.3390/antiox8050146 Ruiz-Jiménez, C. A., Téllez-Valdés, O., Vega, L., and I (2012). Clasificación de los bosques mesófilos de montaña de México: afinidades de la flora. Rev Mex Biodivers 83(4), 1110–1144. doi: https://doi.org/10. 7550/rmb.29383 Salazar-Aguilar, S., Ruiz-Posadas, L., Cadena-Iñiguez, J., Soto-Hernández, M., Santiago-Osorio, E., Aguiñiga- Sánchez, I., Rivera-Mart́ınez, A. R., and Aguirre- Medina, J. F. (2017). Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz, a new cultivar with antiproliferative potential in a human cervical cancer HeLa cell line. Nutrients 9(8). doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9080798 Setzer, W. N. and Setzer, M. C. (2003). Plant-derived triterpenoids as potential antineoplastic agents. Mini Rev Med Chem 3(6), 540–556. doi: https://doi.org/10. 2174/1389557033487854 Stace, C. A. (1986). Present and future infraspecific classification of wild plants. Infraspecific classification of wild and cultivated plants, ed. Styles, B. T. 10-20. url: https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1900020. Styles, B. T. (1986). Infraspecific classification of wild and cultivated plants. In The Systematics Association, Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, 1-4. url: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/B F02859060. Tefera, B. N. and Kim, Y. D. (2019). Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in the Hawassa Zuria District, Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 15(1), 25. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/ s13002-019-0302-7 Uriostegui, M. T. (2014). Análisis fitoqúımico y efecto antiproliferativo de genotipos de Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. sobre cáncer de mama. Master in Cience, Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo. Valenta, K., Kalbitzer, U., Razafimandimby, D., Omeja, P., Ayasse, M., Chapman, C. A., and Nevo, O. (2018). The evolution of fruit colour: phylogeny, abiotic factors and the role of mutualists. Sci Rep 8(1), 14302–14302. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598- 018-32604-x Varshney, D., Spiegel, J., Zyner, K., Tannahill, D., and Balasubramanian, S. (2020). The regulation and functions of DNA and RNA G-quadruplexes. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 21(8), 459–474. doi: https://doi.org/10. 1038/s41580-020-0236-x Vieira, E. F., Pinho, O., Ferreira, I. M. P. L. V. O., and Delerue-Matos, C. (2019). Chayote (Sechium edule): A review of nutritional composition, bioactivities, and potential applications. Food Chem 275, 557–568. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.146 Watson, J. W. and Eyzaguirre, P. B. (2002). Home gardens and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources in farming systems: Proceedings of the second international home gardens workshop, 17-19 July 2001, Witzenhausen, Germany. url: https://hdl. handle.net/10568/105342. Weise, S., Lohwasser, U., and Oppermann, M. (2020). Document or lose it-on the importance of information management for genetic resources conservation in genebanks. Plants 9(8). doi: https://doi.org/10. 3390/plants9081050 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/104273 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/104273 https://doi.org/10.21829/abm49.1999.838 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-016-0571-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-016-0571-4 https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2015.613203 https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2015.613203 https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2019.108091 https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2019.108091 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-01077-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-01077-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.05.024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.05.024 http://www.r-project.org/ http://www.r-project.org/ https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2021.027 https://doi.org/10.17268/sci.agropecu.2021.027 https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8050146 https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8050146 https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.29383 https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.29383 https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9080798 https://doi.org/10.2174/1389557033487854 https://doi.org/10.2174/1389557033487854 https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1900020 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-019-0302-7 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-019-0302-7 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32604-x https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32604-x https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-0236-x https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-0236-x https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.146 https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9081050 https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9081050 138 Cadena-Iñiguez et al Genetic Resources (2024), 5 (10), 126–138 Wickham, H., Averick, M., Bryan, J., Chang, W., Mcgowan, L. D., François, R., Grolemund, G., Hayes, A., Henry, L., Hester, J., Kuhn, M., Pedersen, T. L., Miller, E., Bache, S. M., Müller, K., Ooms, J., Robinson, D., Seidel, D. P., Spinu, V., Takahashi, K., Vaughan, D., Wilke, C., Woo, K., and Yutani, H. (2019). Welcome to the Tidyverse. J Open Source Softw 4(43), 1686–1686. doi: https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01686 Zhang, Y., Yang, L. X., Li, M. X., Guo, Y. J., Li, S., and Wang, Y. H. (2020). The best choices: the diversity and functions of the plants in the home gardens of the Tsang-la (Motuo Menba) communities in Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, Southwest China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 16(1), 50. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/ s13002-020-00395-z https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.01686 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-020-00395-z https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-020-00395-z Introduction Materials and methods Location of the genebank and passport data Statistical analysis Results Descriptive analysis Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) Morphological boundaries Discussion Conclusion Data availability statement Authors contribution Conflict of interest statement