Agromorphological Characterization of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Collection from Burkina Faso

Hibiscus sabdariffa L. or roselle is an important vegetable crop in several African countries. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and is widely used in the diet of local populations in Africa, especially in Burkina Faso. However, up to now, there is no in-depth study describing roselle genetic diversity that has been carried out to assess ecotypes cultivated in Burkina Faso. Thus, this study aims to contribute to providing more insights into Hibiscus sabdariffa genetic variability in Burkina Faso through an agromorphological characterization. For this purpose, a trial was carried out using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. 48 accessions collected from farmers were assessed. Agromorphological data collection involved 12 qualitative and 18 quantitative traits. The qualitative traits analysis showed high variability in leaf, stem, and flower color and shape. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed using quantitative data. The results indicated significant differences among all genotypes for all the traits measured. The first three axes of the PCA explain 69.62% of the genetic variability. Furthermore, the results showed a high agromophological variability which is structured in three (03) groups. This variability will contribute to the enhancement and genetic improvement of Hibiscus sabdariffa

Planting Date and Genotype Effect On Morpho-agronomic Traits of Burkina Faso Sweet Grain Sorghum

Sweet grain sorghum is an under-exploited crop mainly grown around dwelling houses. Its production faces harsh environmental conditions. This study aims to assess sowing date effect on morpho-agronomical traits of sweet grain sorghum. Thus, 30 genotypes of sweet grain sorghum were assessed under 2 planting dates (June 26 and July 20) 24 days apart in a Randomized Complete Block Designs with 3 replications using 10 traits. The results showed a significant effect of sowing date on most of the traits, except internode length. All genotypes were sensitive to photoperiod variation by reducing their sowing-flowering cycle from 08 to 20 days, size and yield at the second planting date. Delayed sowing also resulted in a decrease in plant height (66.4 cm), 100 grain weight (8.3%), panicle weight (16.84%) and grain yield per plant (18.93%). The genotypes expressed a differential sensitivity to photoperiod variation with a mean coefficient of 0.59. Finally, a clustered flowering of all genotypes between September 11 and 27 was observed for both sowing dates. These results could be exploited by sweet sorghum breeding programme in the definition of the cropping calendar

Estimates of Genetic Variability in a Collection of Amaranths (Amaranthus ssp) Cultivated in Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, little information is available on morphological variability of amaranth and the association of different genetic traits. This has been a constraint to its genetic improvement for yield potential, whereby the necessity of this study which aimed at assessing 80 accessions of amaranth collected in the three agro-climatic zones of Burkina Faso. The study was conducted in 2019 during the rainy season. The experimental design was a Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. A total of 12 quantitative descriptors related to the vegetative system, flowering cycle, and leaf and seed yield were assessed. The level of variation of each descriptor, their correlations, and their importance in the structure of agro-morphological variability of amaranths was studied. Significant morphological variability was observed among the accessions. The most discriminating and heritable traits were leaf blade length, number of primary branches bearing an inflorescence, number of leaves per plant, and fresh leaf weight. Late maturing accessions with many branches and long leaves were the best accessions for leaf biomass production. Early maturing accessions with fewer primary branches had better seed production. Two accessions, namely BOB4 and BOB5 of Amaranthus hypochondriacus were identified as the best seed yielding. Breeding programs to facilitate parental selection and increase genetic diversity in breeding populations can use these data