Abstract
Characterization of landraces is central to any conservation measures devised for sweet potato in Malawi. Studies were therefore conducted using seven morphological descriptors and farmers’ indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) to investigate the phenotypical diversity of 286 landraces and 35 introductions of sweet potato from the north, south east and lower Shire. The accessions were planted in a check plot design at Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station. The results showed that farmers’ knowledge (IKS) is a means for preliminary characterization of accessions as evidenced by elimination of 75 duplicate accessions by 12 farmers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that all accessions and populations were phenotypically variable (p≤0.01) and Chi-square test of the morphological descriptors used in the study varied significantly among the three eco-geographical areas and among the landraces and introductions (p≤0.05 and p≤0.01), implying high variability of the accessions. However, the accessions clustered at 50% dissimilarity and generally irrespective of eco-geographical origin, signifying some similarity probably due to gene flow. Shannon Weaver Diversity Index (H’) indicated that different traits had different source areas of highest diversity which were significantly different (p≤0.05); nonetheless Shire Valley had the highest mean diversity for all traits (H’=0.67) which was significantly different from the other two populations (p≤0.05) inferring that the lower shire would be ideal for in situ conservation of sweet potato diversity. Key words: Field evaluation, germplasm, phenotype, population, root crop, variability.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Farmers identified 75 duplicate sweet-potato accessions, supporting indigenous knowledge for preliminary characterization.
Verbatim
e0“farmers’ knowledge (IKS) is a means for preliminary characterization of accessions as evidenced by elimination of 75 duplicate accessions by 12 farmers”
Claim · model-written summary
Sweet-potato accessions and populations were phenotypically variable.
- Outcome
- phenotypically variablee0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“all accessions and populations were phenotypically variable (p≤0.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
Morphological descriptors differed among three eco-geographical areas and between landraces and introductions.
- Material
- landraces and introductionse0
- Outcome
- morphological descriptorse0
- Direction
- varied significantlye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“morphological descriptors used in the study varied significantly among the three eco-geographical areas and among the landraces and introductions (p≤0.05 and p≤0.01)”
Claim · model-written summary
Sweet-potato accessions clustered at 50% dissimilarity largely regardless of geographic origin.
- Outcome
- accessions clusterede0
- Value
- 50% dissimilaritye0
- Qualifier
- irrespective of eco-geographical origine0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“the accessions clustered at 50% dissimilarity and generally irrespective of eco-geographical origin”
Claim · model-written summary
Different sweet-potato traits had significantly different source areas of highest diversity.
- Outcome
- different source areas of highest diversitye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“different traits had different source areas of highest diversity which were significantly different (p≤0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Shire Valley had the highest mean sweet-potato trait diversity at H’=0.67, significantly above the other two populations.
- Outcome
- mean diversity for all traitse0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- H’=0.67e0
- Comparator
- other two populationse0
- Setting
- Shire Valleye0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Shire Valley had the highest mean diversity for all traits (H’=0.67) which was significantly different from the other two populations (p≤0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors proposed lower Shire as an ideal location for in situ conservation of sweet-potato diversity.
- Taxon
- sweet potato
_Flower.jpg?width=60)
Ipomoea batatase0 - Outcome
- in situ conservation of sweet potato diversitye0
- Setting
- lower shiree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Flower.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“the lower shire would be ideal for in situ conservation of sweet potato diversity”