Morphological and molecular characterization of yacon materials (Smallanthus sonchifolius Poep. & Endl) H. Robinson collected in the Eje Cafetero de Colombia (Colombian Coffee zone) ecoregion

<p>Yacon (<em>Smallanthus sonchifolius </em>Poep. Z &amp; Endl) H. Robinson is an Asteraceae native to the Andean region. It is a plant used by antiquated cul­tures as a refreshing fruit or low calorie food. Its roots are composed mostly of water (85-90%). 40 to 70% of its dry weight comes in the form of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), sugars with favo­rable effects on human health, and with a high antioxidant power, which is why it is considered medicinal; for the treatment of problems associated with diabetes. The high demand and price of the product in the domestic and international markets make this species a profitable option for farmers in the Eje Cafetero (Colombian Coffee) ecoregion, which has ideal agro-ecological con­ditions for its cultivation. However, there is neither precise information on the materials present in the region nor information on its productivity, making it difficult to propose the appropiate agrono­mic management to optimize its production. This research was conducted in five provinces of the Eje Cafetero ecoregion, collecting and morpho­logically characterizing the species. Subsequent morphoagronomic evaluations were performed using 18 quantitative descriptors, and eight qua­litative ones, in addition to the molecular characterization with the RAMs technique using six initiators. The morphoagronomic characterization classified the ten collected biotypes into three groups. Molecular characterization distinguished four groups, which are closely related to the grou­ping according to the qualitative characteristics found. The paper concludes that the accessions of group one are the most appropriate for the production of tubers, those of group two for dual-purpose production and those of group three, for leaf production. The multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) indicates that within the germplasm there are important characters that can be used towards the selection of potential parents with desirable quality traits for breeders, farmers and consumers.