Genetic Analysis and Variability Assessment of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) Lines Based on Vegetative Traits

Abstract

Genetic diversity is essential to a plant species' ability to survive, adapt, and thrive in a constantly shifting environment. It also forms the basis for crop development's efficient selection process. Therefore, breeding programs that present a high level of genetic variability in germplasm collections benefit significantly from an understanding of the genetic processes responsible for the inheritance of this trait. Therefore, this research aims to estimate the genetic analysis and variability of Bambara groundnut based on vegetative components using multivariate analyses. A randomized complete block design, including three replications, was utilized to evaluate five genotypes of Bambara groundnuts. The seeds were divided into three groups: large, medium, and small seed sizes. Statistical analysis was conducted in SAS version 9.4 to estimate ten vegetative characters' variance components and heritability. Most vegetative variables in the current study showed significant variations between the five genotypes, fifteen combinations of seed size and genotypes, seed size categories, and the interaction between genotype and seed size categories. The estimation of the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) varied from 0 to 20.36%. Moreover, the high values of GCV (20.36%) and PCV (28.18%) resulted from the wide canopy trait, while moderate GCV and high PCV were registered from the number of petioles, number of leaves, number of branches, and dried biomass. The low GCV and high PCV were recorded for fresh biomass and high plant growth. More research should be conducted to enhance these Bambara genotypes in various environments