Multivariate Analysis and Character Association on the Growth and Yield of Bambara Groundnut in Mubi, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Twelve cultivars of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) collected from some villages in Borno and Adamawa States in North-eartern Nigeria were planted in a Randomized Complete Block Design, replicated thrice during 2004 and 2005 wet seasons, to obtain information on principal component analysis and character association among fourteen traits. A plot of principal component axis (Prin 1) versus principal component axis 2 (Prin 2) for the fourteen characters of bambara groundnut cultivars evaluated classified these characters into two major groups. The first major group (quadrant 1 and 3) accomodated vegetative characters; while the second group (quadrant 2 and 4) accomodated yield and yield component characters. From the principal components, the primary source of variation for the yield related traits which had large positive significance coefficients include the following: pod yield per plant, seed yield per plant, pod number per plant, pod width and length, seed width and length. All these characters positively correlated with seed yield per hectare. This implies that selection for this character could possibly enhance bambara groundnut improvement.