Romaric Kiswendsida Nanema
Université de Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Title: Morphoagronomical characterization of Solenostemon rotundifolius (Poir. J. K. Morton) (Lamiaceae) germplasm from Burkina Faso
Biography
Biography: Romaric Kiswendsida Nanema
Abstract
Solenostemon rotundifolius or country potato is a tropical multipurpose tuber crop species. It has been one of the staple crops in West Africa but currently, its genetic resources are in a process of disappearing. Characterization of S. rotundifolius genetic variability is recognized as a prior intervention to support a sustainable conservation and use of its genetic resources. For identifying suitable descriptors for S. rotundifolius, a morphoagronomical characterization was carried out on 155 cultivars from Burkina Faso. A total of 50 morphological traits (16 qualitative and 34 quantitative) related to the foliage, the cycle and the tubers were scored. The results showed variability within cultivars for the foliage, the cycle and the potential yield (number and weight of tubers). However, no significant variability was found for tubers size. Cultivars from different geographical origin discriminated for the cycle and the potential yield. Significant correlations were found between the cycle, the foliage and the potential yield. Most of the qualitative morphological traits were shown to be varietal criteria. The studied morphological traits could be used as descriptors for S. rotundifolius germplasm characterization and for breeding purpose