Thresholds,sensitive stages and genetic variability of finger millet to high temperature stress

Finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] is an important coarse cereal crop grown in the arid and semi‐arid regions and often experiences high temperature (HT) stress. The objectives of this research were (i) to quantify effects of season‐long HT stress on physiological and yield traits, (ii) to identify the developmental stages most sensitive to HT stress and (iii) to quantify the genetic variability for HT stress tolerance in finger millet. Research was conducted in controlled environment conditions. HT stress decreased the chlorophyll index, photosystem II activity, grain yield and harvest index. Maximum decrease in number of seeds per panicle and grain yield per plant was observed when stress was imposed during booting, panicle emergence or flowering stages. Maximum genotypic variation was explained by panicle width and number of seeds per panicle at optimum temperature (OT) and grain yield per plant at HT and number of seeds at HT. Based on the stress response and grain yield, tolerant or susceptible genotypes were identified. Finger millet is sensitive to HT stress during reproductive stages, and there was genotypic variability among the finger millet genotypes for number of seeds per panicle and grain yield under HT, which can be exploited to enhance stress tolerance.     

Drought Tolerance and Water Use of Cereal Crops: A Focus on Sorghum as a Food Security Crop in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) faces twin challenges of water stress and food insecurity – challenges that are already pressing and are projected to grow. Sub‐Saharan Africa comprises 43 % arid and semi‐arid area, which is projected to increase due to climate change. Small‐scale, rainfed agriculture is the main livelihood source in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA. Because rainfed agriculture constitutes more than 95 % of agricultural land use, water scarcity is a major limitation to production. Crop production, specifically staple cereal crop production, will have to adapt to water scarcity and improved water productivity (output per water input) to meet food requirements. We propose inclusion and promotion of drought‐tolerant cereal crops in arid and semi‐arid agro‐ecological zones of SSA where water scarcity is a major limitation to cereal production. Sorghum uniquely fits production in such regions, due to high and stable water‐use efficiency, drought and heat tolerance, high germplasm variability, comparative nutritional value and existing food value chain in SSA. However, sorghum is socio‐economically and geographically underutilized in parts of SSA. Sorghum inclusion and/or promotion in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA, especially among subsistence farmers, will improve water productivity and food security.     

Differences in Ion Accumulation and Salt Tolerance among Glycine Accessions

Salinity reduces crop yield by limiting water uptake and causing ion‐specific stress. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is sensitive to soil salinity. However, there is variability among soybean genotypes and wild relatives for salt tolerance, suggesting that genetic improvement may be possible. The objective of this study was to identify differences in salt tolerance based on ion accumulation in leaves, stems and roots among accessions of four Glycine species. Four NaCl treatments, 0, 50, 75 and 100 mm , were imposed on G. max, G. soja, G. tomentella and G. argyrea accessions with different levels of salinity tolerance. Tolerant genotypes had less leaf scorch and a greater capacity to prevent Na⁺ and Cl^? transport from soil solution to stems and leaves than sensitive genotypes. Magnitude of leaf injury per unit increase in leaf Na⁺ or Cl^? concentrations was lower in tolerant than in susceptible accessions. Also, plant injury was associated more with Na⁺ rather than with Cl^? concentration in leaves. Salt‐tolerant accessions had greater leaf chlorophyll‐meter readings than sensitive genotypes at all NaCl concentrations. Glycine argyrea and G. tomentella accessions possessed higher salt tolerance than G. soja and G. max genotypes.     

Genomics,genetics and breeding of common bean in Africa: A review of tropical legume project

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume crop worldwide. The International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and its national partners in Africa aim to overcome production constraints of common bean and address the food, nutrition needs and market demands through development of multitrait bean varieties. Breeding is guided by principles of market‐driven approaches to develop client‐demanded varieties. Germplasm accessions from especially two sister species, P. coccineus and P. acutifolius, have been utilized as sources of resistance to major production constraints and interspecific lines deployed. Elucidation of plant mechanisms governing pest and disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance and grain nutritional quality guides the selection methods used by the breeders. Molecular markers are used to select for resistance to key diseases and insect pests. Efforts have been made to utilize modern genomic tools to increase scale, efficiency, accuracy and speed of breeding. Through gender‐responsive participatory variety selection, market‐demanded varieties have been released in several African countries. These new bean varieties are a key component of sustainable food systems in the tropics.     

Pigeonpea breeding in eastern and southern Africa: challenges and opportunities

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millspaugh) is an important multipurpose grain legume crop primarily grown in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In Africa, the crop is grown for several purposes including food security, income generation, livestock feed and in agroforestry. Production in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) is however faced with many challenges including limited use of high‐yielding cultivars, diseases and pests, drought, under‐investment in research and lack of scientific expertise. The aim of this review is to highlight the challenges facing pigeonpea breeding research in ESA and the existing opportunities for improving the overall pigeonpea subsector in the region. We discuss the potential of the recently available pigeonpea genomic resources for accelerated molecular breeding, the prospects for conventional breeding and commercial hybrid pigeonpea, and the relevant seed policies, among others, which are viewed as opportunities to enhance pigeonpea productivity.     

Assessing morphological characteristics of elite cotton lines from different breeding programmes for low temperature and drought tolerance

Cotton breeders in the United States strive to develop region‐specific genotypes adapted to low temperatures and variable soil moistures during early‐season planting. Nine elite upland cotton germplasm (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lines, representing public breeding programmes from nine states across the cotton belt, were evaluated for cold and drought stresses during seed germination and seedling growth stages. Lines were subjected to three treatments, such as low temperature well‐watered (22/14°C, WW), optimal temperature drought stress (30/22°C, DS) and optimal temperature well‐watered (30/22°C, WW; control), to examine genotypic variability for cold and drought tolerance. The treatment including drought stress was irrigated at 50% of the control. Shoot and root traits measured at 25 days after planting were significantly affected by drought and low temperature, where significant genetic variability among lines was observed for both shoot and root parameters. Response indices were developed to quantify variation in the degree of tolerance among the lines to low temperature and drought. Accordingly, OA‐33 was identified as the most low‐temperature‐tolerant line and Acala 1517‐99 as the most drought‐tolerant line. Identification of both cold‐ and drought‐tolerant genotypes suggests existing genotypic variability could provide breeders the opportunity to improve cultivar response to early‐season drought or cold conditions.     

Consequences of climate change for European agricultural productivity, land use and policy

This paper reviews the knowledge on effects of climate change on agricultural productivity in Europe and the consequences for policy and research. Warming is expected to lead to a northward expansion of suitable cropping areas and a reduction of the growing period of determinate crops (e.g. cereals), but an increase for indeterminate crops (e.g. root crops). Increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations will directly enhance plant productivity and also increase resource use efficiencies.

In northern areas climate change may produce positive effects on agriculture through introduction of new crop species and varieties, higher crop production and expansion of suitable areas for crop cultivation. Disadvantages may be an increase in the need for plant protection, the risk of nutrient leaching and the turnover of soil organic matter. In southern areas the disadvantages will predominate. The possible increase in water shortage and extreme weather events may cause lower harvestable yields, higher yield variability and a reduction in suitable areas for traditional crops. These effects may reinforce the current trends of intensification of agriculture in northern and western Europe and extensification in the Mediterranean and southeastern parts of Europe.

Policy will have to support the adaptation of European agriculture to climate change by encouraging the flexibility of land use, crop production, farming systems etc. In doing so, it is necessary to consider the multifunctional role of agriculture, and to strike a variable balance between economic, environmental and social functions in different European regions. Policy will also need to be concerned with agricultural strategies to mitigate climate change through a reduction in emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, an increase in carbon sequestration in agricultural soils and the growing of energy crops to substitute fossil energy use. The policies to support adaptation and mitigation to climate change will need to be linked closely to the development of agri-environmental schemes in the European Union Common Agricultural Policy.

Research will have further to deal with the effect on secondary factors of agricultural production, on the quality of crop and animal production, of changes in frequency of isolated and extreme weather events on agricultural production, and the interaction with the surrounding natural ecosystems. There is also a need to study combined effects of adaptation and mitigation strategies, and include assessments of the consequences on current efforts in agricultural policy to develop a sustainable agriculture that also preserves environmental and social values in the rural society.     

Integrated breeding approaches for improving drought and heat adaptation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a dry season food legume largely grown on residual soil moisture after the rainy season. The crop often experiences moisture stress towards end of the crop season (terminal drought). The crop may also face heat stress at the reproductive stage if sowing is delayed. The breeding approaches for improving adaptation to these stresses include the development of varieties with early maturity and enhanced abiotic stress tolerance. Several varieties with improved drought tolerance have been developed by selecting for grain yield under moisture stress conditions. Similarly, selection for pod set in the crop subjected to heat stress during reproductive stage has helped in the development of heat‐tolerant varieties. A genomic region, called QTL‐hotspot, controlling several drought tolerance‐related traits has been introgressed into several popular cultivars using marker‐assisted backcrossing (MABC), and introgression lines giving significantly higher yield than the popular cultivars have been identified. Multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) approach has been found promising in enhancing genetic recombination and developing lines with enhanced tolerance to terminal drought and heat stresses.     

Drought responses of above‐ground and below‐ground characteristics in warm‐season turfgrass

Water shortages have become more chronic as periodic droughts prolong and water demand for urban and agricultural use increases. Plant drought responses involve coordinated mechanisms in both above‐ and below‐ground systems, yet most studies lack comparisons of root and canopy responses under water scarcity and recovery. This is particularly true of research focused on warm‐season turfgrasses in sandy soils with extremely low water holding capacity. To address the lack of examination of coordinated stress and recovery responses, this study compared the above‐ and below‐ground plant responses during a dry‐down period of 21 days and recovery among four warm‐season turfgrass species in the field. Canopy drought responses and recovery were quantified using digital image analysis. In situ root images were captured using a minirhizotron camera system. Common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] endured the entire drought period without losing 50% green cover while other species lost 50% green cover in 11–34 days predicted from the regression. The interspecific differences in drought resistance were mainly due to root characteristics. Other drought mechanisms appear to be responsible for differences identified in drought resistance between “Zeon” and “Taccoa Green” manilagrass [Zoysia matrella (L.) Merr.]. Recovery was delayed for up to 2 weeks in the second year, warranting further evaluation for turfgrass persistence under long‐term drought. Three‐week drought posed no threat to the survival of zoysiagrass. Species and genotypic variations were found in achieving full post‐recovery, which can be used to develop water conservation strategies and to adjust consumer expectations.     

Seasonal Changes in Carbohydrate and Protein Content of Seeded Bermudagrasses and Their Effect on Spring Green‐Up

The widespread use of warm‐season turfgrasses in transition zones of Europe, such as northern Italy, has been hampered by the long dormancy periods. To encourage the conversion from cool‐ to warm‐season grasses, research is needed to identify cultivars that exhibit early spring green‐up. A 2‐year study was conducted at the agricultural experimental farm of Padova University from November 2006 to October 2008 to compare water‐soluble carbohydrate and protein content in stolons of four bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] cultivars and determine their effect on spring green‐up. Samples of ‘La Paloma’, ‘NuMex Sahara’, ‘Princess 77’ and ‘Yukon’ were collected monthly, and water‐soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and crude protein (CP) content of stolons were measured. Dry weight values of WSC and CP for each cultivar were regressed against days needed to reach 80 % green cover in spring (D80). ‘Yukon’ exhibited the highest rhizome dry weight and WSC content during the winter months and was the fastest to reach 80 % green cover. Conversely, ‘Princess 77’ was the slowest cultivar to green‐up in both years. Regression analysis revealed a stronger relationship between D80 and WSC than between CP content and D80.     

Genomewide association analysis of salt tolerance in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Salinity is a common abiotic stress causing soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield loss worldwide. The use of tolerant cultivars is an effective and economic approach to coping with this stress. Towards this, research is needed to identify salt‐tolerant germplasm and better understand the genetic and molecular basis of salt tolerance in soybean. The objectives of this study were to identify salt‐tolerant genotypes, to search for single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and QTLs associated with salt tolerance. A total of 192 diverse soybean lines and cultivars were screened for salt tolerance in the glasshouse based on visual leaf scorch scores after 15–18 days of 120 mM NaCl stress. These genotypes were further genotyped using the SoySNP50K iSelect BeadChip. Genomewide association mapping showed that 62 SNP markers representing six genomic regions on chromosomes (Chr.) 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 18, respectively, were significantly associated with salt tolerance (p < 0.001). A total of 52 SNP markers on Chr. 3 are mapped at or near the major salt tolerance QTL previously identified in S‐100 (Lee et al., 2014). Three SNPs on Chr. 18 map near the salt tolerance QTL previously identified in Nannong1138‐2 (Chen, Cui, Fu, Gai, & Yu, 2008). The other significant SNPs represent four putative minor QTLs for salt tolerance, newly identified in this study. The results above lay the foundation for fine mapping, cloning and molecular breeding for soybean salt tolerance.     

Evaluation and development of flood‐tolerant soybean cultivars

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) cultivars are generally sensitive to flooding stress. The plant growth is severely affected and grain yield is largely reduced in the flooded field. It is important to develop flood‐tolerant soybean cultivars for grain production in regions of heavy rainfalls worldwide. In this study, a total of 722 soybean genotypes were evaluated for flooding tolerance at R1 stages (first flower at any node) in the 5‐year flooding screening tests. Differential soybean genotypes exhibited diverse responses to flooding stress with that plant foliar damage score (FDS) and plant survival rate (PSR) ranged from 1.9 to 8.8 and 3.4% to 81.7%, respectively (p < .0001). Based on our standard of flooding evaluation, most genotypes were sensitive to flooding with 6.0 of average FDS and 38.7% of PSR. Fifty‐two soybean genotypes showed flooding tolerance and 11 genotypes were with consistent flooding tolerance during 4‐ to 5‐year continual evaluations. In the meantime, six genotypes were identified with consistent high sensitivity to flooding. The group analysis showed that genotypes from different sources had distinguishable responses to flooding stress (p < .0001). The interacting analysis of year and flooding tolerance indicated that FDS and PSR means were significantly different among 5 years due to weather temperature and flooding treatment time influences of each year (p < .0001). Furthermore, five breeding lines with high‐yielding and flood‐tolerant traits were developed using selected consistent flood‐tolerant and high‐yielding genotypes through conventional breeding approach.     

Agronomic performance of winter wheat grown under highly divergent soil moisture conditions in rainfed and water‐managed environments

Even in the temperate climates of Europe, increasing early season drought and rising air temperature are presenting new challenges to farmers and wheat breeders. Sixteen winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes consisting of three hybrids, six line cultivars and two breeding lines from Germany as well as five line cultivars from France, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Ukraine (referred to as “exotic” lines) have been included in this study. The genetic materials were evaluated over three growing seasons under a range of soil moisture regimes at the three North German sites Braunschweig (irrigated and drought‐stressed), Warmse (rainfed) and Söllingen (rainfed). The average grain yields in the twelve growth environments (water regime × season combinations) ranged from 6.1 to 13.5 t ha^?1. The exotic lines showed little evidence of specific phenological adaptation to drought although they are frequently faced with water scarcity in their countries of origin. The hybrids and German lines exhibited higher regression coefficients (b_i) to environmental means than the exotic lines, indicating particular adaptation to favourable growing conditions. The phenotypical correlations of grain yield between the various environments were high, ranging for instance from 0.6 to 0.8 for the irrigated and drought‐stressed environments at Braunschweig. It is thus expected that in the foreseeable future continued selection aiming at high yield potential will suffice as a means to counter the expected increase in droughts.     

Genetic diversity of tropical maize inbred lines combining resistance to Striga hermonthica with drought tolerance using SNP markers

Striga hermonthica and drought are the major stresses limiting maize yields in sub‐Saharan Africa. The search for diverse maize lines’ tolerance to drought and resistance to S. hermonthica (DTSTHR) is very crucial for yield improvement in areas affected by the two stresses. Understanding the genetic diversity among the lines is important to develop cultivars resistant to S. hermonthica and tolerant to drought. The lines were developed from biparental crosses of drought‐tolerant and Striga‐resistant lines. A total of 128 DTSTHR maize lines were characterized using single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Results of the cluster analysis based on 3297 SNP markers showed four distinct groups consistent with the pedigrees of the lines. Furthermore, model‐based analysis also formed the same groups of the DTSTHR lines. Integrating the pedigree information with combining ability and the SNP analyses may provide defined heterotic groups for maize improvement work in West and Central Africa. These results also help breeders to utilize DTSTHR lines present at IITA for developing biparental crosses without disrupting the heterotic groups they have established in their breeding programmes.     

Maternal inheritance of male sterility in the progeny of a natural hybrid between Cajanus lineatus and C. cajan

Adoption of pigeonpea hybrids in central and southern India is showing high impact with on‐farm yield advantages of >30%. The hybrid pigeonpea technology, the first in any legume crop, is based on a cytoplasmic‐nuclear male‐sterility (CMS) system. For a long‐term sustainability of hybrid programme, it is imperative that both nuclear diversity and cytoplasmic diversity are maintained among hybrid parents. In this context, a continuous search for new CMS‐inducing cytoplasms is necessary. This paper reports detection of maternal inheritance of male sterility in the progeny derived from a natural hybrid between a wild relative [Cajanus lineatus (W. & A.) Maesen comb. nov.] of pigeonpea and an unknown pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] genotype. In the present study, the male sterility was maintained up to BC₇F₁ generation by an advanced breeding pigeonpea line ICPL 99044. This male sterility inducing cytoplasm of C. lineatus was tagged as A₆. In future, this CMS genetic stock can be used to develop a range of new pigeonpea hybrids with high yield and adaptation.     

Assessment of Sensitivity to Frost in Ochrus chickling (Lathyrus ochrus (L.) D.C.) by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Ochrus chickling ( Lathyrus ochrus (L.) D.C.) is a promising feed legume for rain-fed farming systems in the Mediterranean environments of West Asia and North Africa (WANA) because of its drought tolerance and resistance to broom rape ( Orobanche crenata Forsk.). However, it is highly susceptible to cold and improving Its resistance would further improve its adaptation.
The potential of the chlorophyll fluorescence technique in screening for frost sensitivity in seedlings of five Lathyrus ochrus genotypes and one each of Vicia ervilia (L.) Wild and V. sativa L. was assessed by measuring the rate of rise in induced or variable chlorophyll fluorescence of fully developed leaflets after cold hardening in the open and subsequent exposure to freezing. The method differentiated the highly frost-susceptible L. ochrus genotypes from the more tolerant Vicia species. Testing the technique with nine genotypes of L. ochrus in which the plants were established, cold-hardened and frost-stressed under controlled conditions confirmed its sensitivity even to reveal the narrow inter plant differences that generally exist within a cultivar or genotype to frost. It is therefore considered as a useful screening technique for cold/frost tolerance in L. ochrus.     

Analysis of Soil Fertility and Management Effects on Yields of Wheat and Corn in the Rolling Pampa of Argentina

The Rolling Pampa is the most productive region of the Argentine Humid Pampa comprising around 10 Mha. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are the main grain crops produced. To develop sound cropping strategies, a better understanding of the impact of soil fertility and management on crops is needed. The objective of this study was to develop models for estimating the effects of growing season precipitation, soil fertility and management on wheat and corn yields. Data from 347 wheat and 323 corn field experiments and production fields over six growing seasons were used. Soil, management and weather characteristics were determined and yields were then evaluated. Data were analysed using linear and quadratic models and a quadratic polynomial surface model. Soil fertility, management and rainfall and interactions were analysed. Growing season precipitation correlated with wheat (R² = 0.42) and corn (R² = 0.25) yield. Maximum wheat yield was achieved with 350–400 mm rainfall and corn yield reached a plateau around 700 mm. Soil fertility accounted for 33 % of wheat yield variability and 5 % of corn yield variability. Management accounted for 48 and 9 % respectively. Whole polynomial models integrating rainfall, fertilizer N and P rates, soil N and P, previous crop and tillage system accounted for 67 % of wheat yield variability and 51 % of corn yield variability. Soil organic matter was not included in the models but an indirect effect on yield was detected as organic matter correlated with initial soil N levels for both crops. Soya bean as a previous crop had a positive effect on wheat and corn yields. Wheat was insensitive to tillage system but corn yield was higher under no till. N and P fertilization had a two- to three-fold greater impact on yield than soil nutrient levels. As this region is considered to be of high soil fertility and has a history of very low fertilizer consumption, adequate use of N and P fertilization will be essential to maintaining high wheat and corn yields.     

Drought Priming at Vegetative Growth Stage Enhances Nitrogen‐Use Efficiency Under Post‐Anthesis Drought and Heat Stress in Wheat

To study the effects of early drought priming at 5th‐leaf stage on grain yield and nitrogen‐use efficiency in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under post‐anthesis drought and heat stress, wheat plants were first exposed to moderate drought stress (drought priming; that is, the leaf water potential reached ca. ?0.9 MP a) at the 5th‐leaf stage for 11 days, and leaf water relations and gas exchange rates, grain yield and yield components, and agronomic nitrogen‐use efficiency (ANUE ) of the primed and non‐primed plants under post‐anthesis drought and heat stress were investigated. Compared with the non‐primed plants, the drought‐primed plants possessed higher leaf water potential and chlorophyll content, and consequently a higher photosynthetic rate during post‐anthesis drought and heat stress. Drought priming also resulted in higher grain yield and ANUE in wheat under post‐anthesis drought and heat stress. Drought priming at vegetative stage improves carbon assimilation and ANUE under post‐anthesis drought and heat stress and their combination in wheat, which might be used as a field management tool to enhance stress tolerance of wheat crops to multiple abiotic stresses in a future drier and warmer climate.     

Rice Yield Gap due to Iron Toxicity in West Africa

Iron toxicity is a widespread nutrient disorder in lowland rice, notably in West Africa. It occurs in irrigated or rain-fed rice crops when the soil contains excessive amounts of iron. Associated with leaf discoloration symptoms (bronzing), this excessive iron uptake causes poor growth and tillering and leads to severe yield reductions. Field experiments were carried out in West Africa from 1994 to 1998 at two sites with high iron toxicity and one non-toxic site to assess the effects of iron toxicity on rice cropping and evaluate the tolerance of promising rice cultivars available in West Africa. To estimate yield losses caused by iron toxicity, the yield potential was simulated using the ORYZA-S rice growth and yield model. Based on the potential yield, the yield loss in an iron-toxic site is the combination of the yield gap caused by unknown site factors and the yield gap caused by iron toxicity. Compared to the referential yield obtained in a non-iron-toxic site, iron toxicity reduced rice yields by 16–78 % (mean 43 %). The extent of the yield loss depended on rice cultivar, iron toxicity intensity and crop management strategy (water control and mineral fertilisation). A strong correlation obtained between yield and the iron toxicity score, based on visual symptoms indicated an approx. 400 kg ha⁻¹ yield loss for each visual score point increase. The high genetic variability in iron toxicity tolerance and close correlation between leaf symptom score and grain yield between rice genotypes provide a good basis for breeding varieties that can produce higher yields under iron-toxic conditions.     

Genetic diversity,population structure and key phenotypic traits driving variation within soyabean (Glycine max) collection in Ghana

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is an important oilseed crop worldwide and it has recently become the crop of interest in Ghana. In this study, 142 soybean accessions were genotyped with 34 SSR markers and concurrently evaluated for five quantitative and two qualitative phenotypic traits. Twenty‐nine of the SSR markers were polymorphic with mean allele number of 5.3, polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.51 and gene diversity of 0.55. Molecular analysis based on unweighted paired group arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was similar in explaining the extent of diversity within the accessions. Structure analysis placed most of the accessions into two subpopulations with 18 (12.7%) as admixtures. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on phenotypic traits revealed two clusters. Both UPGMA clustering‐based SSR data and PCA from phenotypic data showed similar results. The assembled germplasm is genetically diverse with high variation in flowering and maturity period, and key yield components which could be exploited in developing superior varieties well adapted to Ghana and West Africa.