Selecting Yield and Nutritional Traits in Sphenostylis stenocarpa Landraces for Food Improvement

Sphenostylis stenocarpa is an underexploited African indigenous food crop that is enriched in nutritional quality.

Exploring the robust genetic base of this landrace can help to maximize the benefit of the agricultural sector on the economy through production that is enhanced by packaging and patent. This as well will increase the quality of food production and promote African campaign on food sustainability.

Upon this, this research made use of multiple statistics to identify S. stenocarpa yield and nutritional trait relatedness that supported selection for maximum yield and nutritional trait output. Yield and related traits including protein and oil contents of twenty-three Sphenostylis stenocarpa landraces were studied under a four year planting seasons in Teaching and Research farm of Landmark University, Nigeria.

Trait variances from Landrace × Year (L × Y) interaction, Principal Component and Cluster analyses were evaluated and the variation patterns were identified. Some vegetative (maturity phase, height and branching) and yield traits (Pod traits, seed yield and oil content) correlated significantly (P < 0.05) in the L × Y interactions. This suggests the usefulness of these traits in improving S. stenocarpa grain and oil quality yield. Tuber and nodule yield including protein content did not differ significantly in the variance table.

The result indicates that one location trial is insufficient to determine such trait performance. The first four PCs that accounted for 51 percent of the total variations were traceable to branching, maturity date, pod numbers, seed and oil content as main contributors to yield.