Twelve landraces of kersting's groundnut (Kerstingiella geocarpa Harms), collected from northern Ghana in 2004 were evaluated for plant height, canopy spread, leaf area index, nodule count, days to 50% flowering, fresh and dry shoot weight, fresh and dry root weight, pod number per plant, grain yield and hundred seed weight. The following parameters were similar (p > 0.05) among the landraces: leaf area index, nodule count at 7 and 9 WAP, dry shoot weight at 7 WAP, fresh and dry shoot weight at 7 WAP, number of pods per plant and hundred seed weight. Plant height at 8 WAP significantly varied (p = 0.026) among the landraces. The landraces Boli, Heng milk mottled, Gbangu, Nakori and Puffeon produced the tallest plants. Canopy spread of Heng red mottled, Heng milk mottled, Boli, Nakori, Nankpaduri, Puffeon and Gbangu exceeded other entries at 9 WAP. Days to 50% flowering varied significantly (p = 0.001) among landraces with Puffeon, Gbangu, Heng milk mottled, Nakori and Heng red mottled flowering early. At 7 WAP, fresh shoot weight was significantly (p = 0.002) different among the landraces with Heng milk mottled, Funsi, Nankpaduri, Boli, Sigiri, Dugulatuk, and Gbangu outstanding. Grain yield was highly significant (p = 0.001) with Heng red mottled, Funsi, Puffeon, and Sigiri as best yielders. Six Principal components (PC) were significantly informative in a factor analysis. The PC1 contained 90.76% of the total variation in the collection. A cluster analysis revealed that the measured traits accounted for only 12% of the variation with two major clusters.

A survey was conducted in four yam growing communities in southern Ghana, with the objectives of analyzing the diversity of yam species being cultivated, extent of production, yams preferred and identification of challenges confronting yam production. A total of 264 farmers were involved in the survey, 200 men and 64 women. Six yam species were encountered and 136 varieties were characterized according to the number of households cultivating the varieties, area under cultivation, frequency of harvesting and the preferred yams. Invariably in the four communities, most of the varieties were cultivated in small areas by few households, depicting serious genetic erosion of yams in the communities. Preference of yams cultivated depended mostly on the maturity period, ability to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses and multiple utilization as food sources. Eleven constraints were enumerated which needs to be addressed to ensure sustainable yam production. The interrelations of the species with respect to the characteristics surveyed are presented.

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A study was conducted in five yam-growing communities in the Forest Transition AgroecologicalZone of Ghana to identify cultivated yam varieties, their distribution and intensity of cultivation and to document the rate and causes of landrace germplasm loss. Generally, the cultivated varieties ranged from 9 to 16 with a mean of 12. The most diversity was found in Sankore (Asunafo South District), followed by Sampa in the Jaman North District, Asantekwa in the Kintampo District, Ejura in the Ejura-Sekyedumase and Mim in the Atebubu/Amantin Districts with 16, 15, 12, 11 and 9 cultivated varieties respectively. Dioscorea rotundata is most widely cultivated species of yam followed by Dioscorea alata, Dioscorea cayenensis, Dioscorea praehensilis and Dioscorea bulbifera respectively. Factors such as good culinary characteristics, high yield, seed generation capacity, good storage characteristics and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses were important criteria for selection of variety. The market and utilization were major determinants of continual cultivation of a variety or its neglect.

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