Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are food security and socioeconomic importance crop in different areas of the world. Although it is cultivated and consumed in sub-Saharan Africa, still neglected by scientific research and development program in many countries including in Ethiopia. To fill in the knowledge gaps, the present study conducted at Jimma Agricultural Research Center during 2015. The objectives of the study were to characterize and assess the level of diversity within farmers and reference collection of yam landraces collected from major growing areas of Southwest Ethiopia. Thirty-six landraces of yam tested by using 6 x 6 simple lattice design with two replications. Data on 32 qualitative morphological traits collected and subjected to multivariate analyses. Cluster analysis based on qualitative characters revealed seven distinct clusters with varying sizes and presence of variability, based on their foliar and subterranean traits which will be highly useful in the genetic improvement. The result of the Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H`) indicated, the existence of a high level of diversity among Dioscorea spp. landraces based on the frequency distribution of phenotypic traits that considered. The results of PCA indicated that characters that have a good contribution to the variability. The first seven principal components explained 88.4% of the total variation, while PC-I and PC-II accounted 55.30% of the total variability. Thus, this utmost phenotypic variability between landraces is vital for hybridization and to produce potential and meaningful hybrids and desirable segregants of yams in Ethiopia.