Cluster and principal component analysis of African yam bean (Sphenostylis Sternocarpa Hochst. Ex. A. Rich. harms) using morphological attributes

African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa-Hochst Ex A. Rich) is one of the endangered African crop species that has immense nutritional advantages required in human diet. It has dual crop advantage as it produces both seed and tubers. A collection of 18 accessions African Yam bean of IITA germplasm, Ibadan, Nigeria was assessed for genetic diversity based on nine quantitative traits. This research was carried out behind Biological Science Block, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Morphological characterization of AYB was conducted and nine qualitative parameters were considered for this study. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three (3) replicates Cluster and Principal Component Analysis were done using Genstat discovery Edition 4 and PASW version 20.0 software. The results on Cluster analysis revealed two major clusters. The dendrogram shows that accessions were not grouped based on origin as there were intermixing of accessions between the different origins within the sub-clusters. Principal Component Analysis of nine quantitative traits revealed five principal component and expressed 55.27 % of the total variation observed with Days to 50 % flowering, vine length and number of pods as major contributors from each PCs. Interestingly, the cluster dendrogram and the PCA obtained in the current study were in total agreement in classifying the studied accessions. This study revealed that TSs 33 may successfully be explored in breeding programmes for improved variant trait for AYB as it tends to cluster distantly from other accessions evaluated It is recommended that Days to 50 % flowering, vine length and number of pods should be considered as major indicators when characterizing AYB.