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Online ISSN : 2349-8080 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorinchiefijcrbp@gmail.com |
2Faculty of Sciences and Technology of Dassa, Polytechnic University of Abomey (UPA), BP14, Dassa, Benin
In Benin, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), is both a food security and cash crop neglected by scientific research and development programs. To assess its diversity at national level, 89 farmer-named cultivars were collected from different production zones, planted in completely randomized bloc design with three repetitions and characterized using 15 qualitative and 10 quantitative morphological parameters. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis. Among the qualitative traits, five (color of the stipule, leaflet cover, pubescence of the leaves, external color and split of the stem) presented high variability. Among the stem colors recorded, black (49.44%), red (14.49%) and yellow (13.48%) were the most represented. Apart the leaves length, all of the quantitative traits considered exhibited high variability hence indicating the possibility of improvement of the crop using local germplasm to respond to farmers and consumers’ preferences and needs. Correlation matrix revealed strong relationships between different quantitative traits. Both principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis grouped the 89 cultivars into four morphological groups with different characteristics. Some putative duplicates were identified and for their certification the use of molecular markers such as SSRs or advanced techniques such as GBS were recommended.
