Characterization of Morphological Diversity of Jute Mallow(Corchorus spp.)

Abstract

Jute mallow is a traditional leaf vegetable that is an important part of daily diet for the majority of people in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Here we employed quantitative and qualitative phenotypic traits to assess the morphological diversity of 90 accessions using univariate and multivariate analyses. Field experiments were conducted for two seasons to identify accessions suitable for leaf yield. The accessions were significantly variable in all traits. Highest variability among accessions was found in harvest index, biomass yield, and weight of 1000 seeds. The traits that significantly correlated with biomass yield include plant height ( = 0.448), petiole length ( = 0.237), primary branches ( = 0.319), and number of leaves per plant ( = 0.333). Principal component analysis showed that the first five PCs with eigenvalues ≥1 explained 72.9% of the total variability in the accessions. Pods per plant, primary branches, secondary branches, and number of leaves per plant accounted for highest variability in PC1. Cluster analysis grouped the accessions into five major clusters mainly based on their origin. Thus, the collection displayed high variation in morphological traits, particularly those related to leaf yield. These accessions are therefore useful in breeding for the improvement of the crop and germplasm management.

Characterisation of agro-morphological traits ofcorchorusaccessions

“…In this study, the Corchorus accessions were evaluated in the field for agro-morphological traits and revealed huge variability in days to 50 % flowering, plant height, canopy width, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, stem and pod diameter, pod length, number of leaves, branches and pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and fresh and dry mass as shown inTable 2. Similar findings to these presented were also reported byBenor et al (2012) who described significant differences among accessions of Corchorus olitorius and Maina (2012,Nwangburuka and Denton (2012),Adebo (2015 andNgomuo et al (2017) who also observed variability in different Corchorus morphotypes for quantitative traits Gichimu et al (2009). also recorded significant variation among wild and cultivated species of watermelon.…”

“…Corchorus is a genus belonging to Malvaceae family and is commonly known as, wild jute or wild okra (Jansen van Rensburg et al 2007). It is also widely known as jute mallow in other parts of Africa (Maina et al 2012;Ngomuo et al 2017;Nyadanu et al 2017). Africa has been reported as the center of diversity and source of origin due to high species diversity of Corchorus on the continent and for the reason that both wild and cultivated types, including Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius, are distributed throughout Africa (Edmonds 1990).…”

“…Corchorus species have been reported to be very rich in nutrients and minerals (Zeghichi et al 2004;Ndlovu and Afolayan 2008;Choudhary et al 2013;Islam 2013). Corchorus has been widely reported to be highly nutritious providing considerable quantities of beta-carotene, calcium, iron zinc, essential amino acids, protein and vitamins (Ndlovu and Afolayan 2008;Nwangburuka and Denton 2012;Maina et al 2012;Choudhary et al 2013;Adebo et al 2015;Helaly et al 2017;Ngomuo et al 2017;Nyadanu et al 2017). Corchorus olitorius has been reported to be more nutritious when compared to the widely cultivated and commercialised leafy vegetable species such as cabbage (Ndlovu and Afolayan 2008;Njeme et al 2014).…”

“…Whereas, accessions in the opposite side, SA001, SA002, and SA004 are associated , widest plant canopy, high leaf length-leaf width ratio and number of pods per plant. Accession AV007 shared most characteristics with its fellow WVC accessions but slightly differed with regards to days to 50% flowering and leaf width.DiscussionMorphological characterisation of plant species is an important step in crop improvement programmes as it permits breeders to identify and select superior lines for further crop advancement(Adebola and Morakinyo 2006;Das and Kumar 2012;Julia et al 2016;Peratoner et al 2016;Ngomuo et al 2017). In this study, the Corchorus accessions were evaluated in the field for agro-morphological traits and revealed huge variability in days to 50 % flowering, plant height, canopy width, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, stem and pod diameter, pod length, number of leaves, branches and pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and fresh and dry mass as shown inTable 2.…”

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

“…Variation in LAI was attributed to differences in leaf types. Leaf size reportedly contributes to the biomass yield and leaf yield and is, therefore, an important aspect in selecting candidates for leaf production [24]. e weight of 1000 seeds is an indicator of good quality seed and is an essential trait to consider during the selection of accessions to be used as parental stock in seed production during propagation or breeding projects.…”