Characterisation of agro-morphological traits of corchorus accessions |
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Authors: | Sweetbird Phindile Dube Diana Marais Sydney Mavengahama Corlina Margaretha Van Jaarsveld Abe Shegro Gerrano |
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Affiliation: | 1. Agricultural Research Council-Vegetable and Ornamental Plants, Pretoria, South Africa;2. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, UK;3. Department of Crop Science, North West University, Mmabatho, South Africa;4. Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, Kwa-Dlangezwa, South Africa |
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Abstract: | The genus Corchorus includes nutrient-rich indigenous leafy vegetables often grown or harvested in the wild in Africa. It has potential to contribute to food security, but there is need to improve it as a crop through plant breeding. However, not much is known about the genetic variability among Corchorus species. The aim of this study was thus to characterise the available germplasm of Corchorus accessions and investigate heritability of their agro-morphological traits. Eleven Corchorus accessions (4 South African and 7 from the World Vegetable Center) were evaluated in a field study at Roodeplaat, South Africa, for their morpho-agronomic traits using a randomised complete block design with three replications across two seasons (2015/2016 and 2016/2017). Data were subjected to ANOVA, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Broad sense heritability, genetic advance, genetic parameters and correlations were determined among the accessions and traits. The Corchorus accessions showed significant (P < .05) differences in all the quantitative traits evaluated. The data showed significant variability among the studied Corchorus accessions in their agro-morphological traits for exploitation in future breeding programmes that in turn can contribute to the improvement of this crop. |
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Keywords: | Genetic diversity genetic parameters indigenous leafy vegetable principal component analysis wild jute |
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