Characterization and potential for the genetic improvement of pigeonpea (cajanus cajan ) landraces
type: CreativeWork
description: Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is an important grain legume that provides highly nutritious food for human consumption, livestock feeds and fixes considerable amounts of atmospheric nitrogen, thus improving soil fertility. Local farmers utilize traditional unimproved cultivars that are inherently low yielding limiting the adoption of the crop. The narrow genetic base of pigeonpea limits plant breeding efforts aimed at improving the species. Determining the genotypic variation in agronomic and nutritional attributes among pigeonpea genotypes is essential for improving crop productivity and nutritional content of the crop. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of information regarding the characterization and the genetic diversity in agronomic and nutritive attributes in the pigeonpea germplasm pool maintained at the University of Venda. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize and evaluate the potential for the genetic improvement of the agronomic and nutritive attributes of pigeonpea landraces. The specific objectives of the study were to: (i) determine the genetic diversity in agro-morphological attributes (ii) determine the genetic diversity in selected nutritive attributes among pigeonpea landraces (iii) characterize the seed storage proteins in pigeonpea landraces and (iv) determine the general and specific combining abilities for agronomic attributes among pigeonpea landraces. For the first objective of the study, the genetic variation for agronomic and morphological traits among fourteen pigeonpea landraces from the germplasm pool maintained at the University of Venda was evaluated. The genotypes were raised in pots filled with top (up to 25.0 cm deep) soil from the field in the shadehouse for two consecutive seasons. In each season, the experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design replicated three times. Qualitative traits such as the branching pattern, stem colour, flower colour, pod colour and testa colour were recorded. The quantitative traits…
abstract: Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is an important grain legume that provides highly nutritious food for human consumption, livestock feeds and fixes considerable amounts of atmospheric nitrogen, thus improving soil fertility. Local farmers utilize traditional unimproved cultivars that are inherently low yielding limiting the adoption of the crop. The narrow genetic base of pigeonpea limits plant breeding efforts aimed at improving the species. Determining the genotypic variation in agronomic and nutritional attributes among pigeonpea genotypes is essential for improving crop productivity and nutritional content of the crop. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of information regarding the characterization and the genetic diversity in agronomic and nutritive attributes in the pigeonpea germplasm pool maintained at the University of Venda. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize and evaluate the potential for the genetic improvement of the agronomic and nutritive attributes of pigeonpea landraces. The specific objectives of the study were to: (i) determine the genetic diversity in agro-morphological attributes (ii) determine the genetic diversity in selected nutritive attributes among pigeonpea landraces (iii) characterize the seed storage proteins in pigeonpea landraces and (iv) determine the general and specific combining abilities for agronomic attributes among pigeonpea landraces. For the first objective of the study, the genetic variation for agronomic and morphological traits among fourteen pigeonpea landraces from the germplasm pool maintained at the University of Venda was evaluated. The genotypes were raised in pots filled with top (up to 25.0 cm deep) soil from the field in the shadehouse for two consecutive seasons. In each season, the experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design replicated three times. Qualitative traits such as the branching pattern, stem colour, flower colour, pod colour and testa colour were recorded. The quantitative traits…
author: Mashifane, Dipoo Charity
language: en
keywords: Agronomic attribute, Combining ability, Genetic diversity, Minerals, Seed storage, Proteins, UCTD
date published: 2025-09-05
date modified: 2026-07-27T21:57:16Z
provider: University of Venda
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Venda