| dc.description.abstract | Knowledge of morphological characterization and phenotypic trait variability are very important
in selection of traits for improvement as well as discrimination of germplasm in improvement
programmes. Three accessions of jute mallow (Corchorus species) were collected from Kasese in
western Uganda, Soroti in Eastern Uganda and Gulu in Northern Uganda and were evaluated for
morphological variability and phenotypic trait performance. The experiment was carried out in
Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo and the replications were set on
raised blocks using Randomized Complete Block Design. Data was collected on growth and
development parameters, yield parameters and incidence of pests and diseases
Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using R and RStudio interface and analysis of
variance (ANOVA) was performed to test for differences between the genotypes, Fisher’s LSD at
a 5% significant level to separate the means between the genotypes.
The results revealed significant differences in days to germination whereby there was no
germination in the accession from Soroti and northern accession germinated earlier than the
western accession. There was significant difference in the days to 50% flowering between the
northern (44 days) and western (56 days) at p<0.001. Significant differences were also observed
in plant height between the western and northern accession in week 5 whereby northern was taller
than western accession at p<0.05 and in week 9 where western accession was having higher mean
height, 92.47 cm than northern, 82.90 cm at p<0.001. This led to prolonged vegetative time for
western accession and there was significant difference in leaf number in that the northern accession
had more leaves than the western accession and more branches before pod initiation after which
the number of branches and leaves remained constant and others fell off and dried as the western
accession with late flowering continued to put more branches and leaves. There was significant
difference in leaf area between the western and northern accession at P<0.001 in that western
accession had leaves with larger leaf area than northern throughout the plant growth cycle.
However, leaves of western accession were heavily defoliated by pests unlike those of northern
accession
It was then recommended that corchorus accession from Kasese should be improved by breeders
in order to come up with varieties with desirable horticultural traits since it was better performing
with larger surface area leaves, more branches at later stage which increases its harvesting period
as compared with northern accession | en_US |
