Diversity in Phenotypic Traits and Mineral Elements of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) Genotypes

Abstract

African indigenous vegetables need to be improved for yield and nutrient enhancement. This can initially be done through germplasm characterization to know the pattern of genetic diversity for germplasm collection, conservation, and plant breeding programme. This research work was carried out to elucidate the diversity present in forty genotypes of okra in Nigeria as regards their qualitative and quantitative traits together with their mineral elements using cluster analysis and principal component analysis so as to help breeders in crop improvement programmes to select appropriate parents to produce new and better varieties. The experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, during the rainy season in 2019. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were employed to study the diversity present in the okra genotypes. There was great diversity among the forty genotypes of okra studied with respect to qualitative traits. There were highly significant differences $\left(P<0.01\right)$ for all the quantitative characters, which indicated the presence of a great amount of diversity in all the characters studied. Single-linkage cluster analysis shows that, at 100% level of similarity, all the genotypes were distinct from one another. Results of the principal component analysis showed that 76.30% of the total variability among the okra genotypes evaluated in this study was accounted for the first five principal components. This study suggests that there is great diversity among the genotypes studied, which could be used by breeders for okra improvement.