Assessment of Seed and Tuber Production Potential in Varieties of <i>Sphenostylis stenocarpa</i> (Africa Yam Bean)

Abstract

Twenty accessions of African Yam Bean, grown at the Teaching and Research Farm of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso during the cropping seasons of May to November, 2014 and 2015 were assessed for genetic diversity and Genotype × Environment interaction effects on trait performance and their ability to produce tuber. The first six Principal Components jointly explained 70.30% of the total variation among the accessions. Vine length, branching pattern, pod number, pod length, seed number, and seed yield contributed mostly to the observed variations. Seed biometric traits were most variable and contributed 52% of total variation. Variance due to genotype accounted for 54.2%, environment 10.5% and G × E interaction accounted for 30.1% of the interaction sum of squares. Accessions, G2, G4, G47, G49 and G50 produced tubers, while accessions G6, G15, G31, G32 and G33 nodulated extensively. Conversely, there was a marginal reduction in seed yield in accessions that either produced tubers or nodules.

Assessing Intraspecific Variability and Diversity in African Yam Bean Landraces Using Agronomic Traits

“…The greater magnitudes of PCV, environmental variance and the variance due to accession × environment interaction compared to the GCV and genotypic variance suggested higher environmental influence in the expression of all traits. Similar results have been reported by [32,35,38,39] in their studies of AYB variability. The high PCV and moderate GCV observed for both SYPPL and NPPPL indicated the presence of considerable variation for these traits among the AYB accessions studied, and thus provides opportunity for improvement through effective selection.…”

“…The significant differences observed among the accessions for all traits was an indication of the genetically diverse nature of the germplasm and suggested that good progress can be made in the improvement of desired traits. Previous studies using fewer number of accessions [2,[14][15][16][32][33][34][35][36] had reported substantial variability for different traits in African yam bean. The significance of environment and accession × environment interaction effects for all traits indicated that the performance of accessions were influenced by environment, and the relative rank in performance of accessions varied with the different environments.…”

“…High degree of GVC gives rise to varying offspring in the segregating generation [40]. The low GCV and PCV found for D50F, DPM, GFP, SP, PDL, NSPPD, NLPPD, HSW, SL, ST and ST suggests low variability among the accessions for these traits; [32,35,38,39] had previously reported low variability for these traits in AYB landraces.…”

Assessment of Maize (Zea mays) Genotypes for Seed Metrics, Agronomic Performance, Yield and Nutritional Content in the Southern Savanna Agro-ecological Zone of Nigeria (Wukari as Case Study)

“…According to Parvez [17], ear weight, ear diameter and ear length are important characters that influence yield efficiency in maize, while tassel branches, length and weight are important tassel characters that affects yield efficiency, as they determine the abundance or otherwise of pollen grain produced by the maize plant. Findings of the research agrees with the initial assertions of Gue et al [18]; Ibirinde et al [19], that tassel traits affect grain yield either physiologically; by competing for photosynthesis, or physically by shading effect. Thus, an ideal male parent for maize breeding programme should have numerous tassels that are capable of producing large amount of pollen grains, whereas an ideal female should partition more towards big ear and hence should possess small tassel [20][21][22].…”

Potentials of underutilized legumes in food security

“…Cassia hirsuta L. has equally been reported to contain high protein, lipid, potassium, fiber, carbohydrates, and energy contents (34), while velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) has been reported to have optimum crude protein, lipid, fiber, carbohydrate, energy, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese and magnesium content which is capable of supplying human nutritional needs (35). Examples of other underutilized legumes and nutrient composition are listed in Table 1 below: Some underutilized legumes have multiple edible parts; for instance, different parts of winged bean which include the flower, seeds, pod case, immature pods, tuberous roots, and leaves (62), similarly, the seeds and leaves of fenugreek are edible (63), also, marama bean produces edible grains and tubers beneath their root (49), zombie pie produces edible seeds and tubers (16) and African yam bean produces edible tubers and seeds (64). The edibility of multiple parts of underutilized legumes gives a chance for the human nutritional requirements to be satisfied through different diets, especially for picky eaters, making it…”