Agro-Morphological Characterization of Kenyan Slender Leaf (Crotalaria brevidensandC. ochroleuca) Accessions

Abstract

Slender leaf (Crotalaria spp) is among the indigenous and underutilized vegetables in Kenya whose production is limited to the Western and Coastal regions of the country. For a long time, this crop has been neglected in terms of research and genetic improvement. There is therefore scanty information on its morphological diversity and agronomic performance, hence the need for this study. Field experiments were carried out for two seasons in October to December 2018 and March to May 2019. The experiments were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with 29 accessions and replicated three times. Both qualitative and quantitative data were recorded from the accessions based on the Crotalaria descriptors. Quantitative data were subjected to analysis of variance using XLSTAT Version 2019, and accession means were separated using Student’s Newman Keuls test at 95% level of confidence. Both qualitative and quantitative data were subjected to multivariate cluster analysis, and a dendrogram was constructed using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average. The principal component analysis was conducted to obtain information on the importance of the characters. Significant variation in agro-morphological traits was found within and between the two species. Cluster analysis grouped the accessions into seven major classes with a between-classes diversity of 75.13% and a within-classes diversity of 24.87%. This study sets the basis for genetic improvement of slender leaf in Kenya since the observed diversity can be exploited in selection for intraspecific and interspecific hybridization.

Phenomic characterization of Crotalaria germplasm for crop improvement

“…Variability was observed in all the qualitative and quantitative traits investigated. Contrary to a previous study by Mwakha et al (2020), who reported lack of diversity in stem colour, dry pod colour, and hairiness of the stem. The study by Mwakha et al (2020), investigated two domesticated species hence the diversity could have been lost over time due to selection pressure.…”

“…Contrary to a previous study by Mwakha et al (2020), who reported lack of diversity in stem colour, dry pod colour, and hairiness of the stem. The study by Mwakha et al (2020), investigated two domesticated species hence the diversity could have been lost over time due to selection pressure. In agreement with the findings of Raj and Britto (2011), the present study established that most of the traits observed were not exclusive to a particular Crotalaria species with the leaf shape trait being among the most diverse qualitative trait.…”

“…However, the distinctiveness of this trait in most of the cultivated species was lacking, with observations of different leaflet shapes in different plants of the same species. Overlap in leaf types in the species C. brevidens and C. ochroleuca which are common cultivated species in Kenya has been previously reported (Mwakha et al 2020). Therefore, this trait may not a good qualitative parameter for inheritance studies.…”

Phenomic Characterization of Crotalaria Germplasm for Crop Improvement in Kenya

“…Contrary to a previous study by Mwakha et al (2020), who reported lack of diversity in stem colour, dry pod colour, and hairiness of the stem. The study by Mwakha et al (2020), investigated two domesticated species hence the diversity could have been lost over time due to selection pressure. In agreement with the ndings of Raj & Britto (2011b), the present study established that most of the traits observed were not exclusive to a particular Crotalaria species with the leaf shape trait being among the most diverse qualitative trait.…”

“…However, the distinctiveness of this trait in most of the cultivated species was lacking, with observations of different lea et shapes in different plants of the same species. Overlap in leaf types in the species C. brevidens and C. ochroleuca which are common cultivated species in Kenya has been previously reported (Mwakha et al 2020). Therefore, this trait may not a good qualitative parameter for inheritance studies.…”