The variability in African yam bean (AYB) accessions with respect to yield and other agronomic traits were studied for two cropping seasons (2012 and 2013) in field experiments to evaluate the growth, yield and yield components of 36 AYB accessions. The accessions differed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in the traits studied. In 2012 Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that seed yield had significant (P ≤ 0.01) and positive relationships with total pod weight per plant (r = 0.80**), number of filled pods (r = 0.90**) and total number of pods per plant (r = 0.73**). Total pod weight per plant recorded significant and positive relationships with total number of pods per plant (r = 0.88**) and number of filled pods (r = 0.90**). In the 2013 cropping season, seed yield had positively significant (P ≤ 0.01) relationships with total pod weight per plant (r = 0.96**), number of pods per plant (r = 0.89**), number of filled pods (0.92**) and shrivelled pods (r = 0.72**). Total pod weight per plant had positively significant (P ≤ 0.01) relationships with number of pods per plant (r = 0.93**), number of filled pods (r = 0.92**) and shrivelled pods (r = 0.78**). Principal component analysis results identified seed yield, total pod weight, number of filled pods, percentage filled pods, number of days to first emergence, number of days to 50% emergence and number of seeds per pod as the most discriminating traits among the accessions. TSs 137, TSs 111, TSs 118, Tseagbaragba, TSs 60 and TSs 93 were the best performing accessions for seed yield. The evident variability in the AYB accessions evaluated should be made use of in developing improved African yam bean varieties.

Richardson Okechukwuhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5335-4855

Biotech and Plant Breeding

Agronomy; Biodiversity; Food Security; Grain Legumes; Plant Breeding; Plant Production; Yam

African Yam Bean; Biodiversity; Sphenostylis Stenocarpa; Food Security; Food Production; Nutrition; Nigeria

Africa; West Africa

Nigeria

Headquarters and Western Africa Hub

Tropical Agriculture