Variability and heritability of nutritional composition among L. siceraria landraces from Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | IJAAR 2020

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley of the Cucurbitaceae family has nutritious tender shoots, fruits, and seeds that are of culinary use in rural communities as vegetables. However, no studies on variation, correlation, heritability, and genetic advance of its nutritional traits were conducted in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This study aimed to characterize nutritional variability and heritability among L. siceraria genotypes from different origins. Nutritional traits were compared among different landraces using ANOVA, correlation, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and heritability estimates. Landraces varied significantly in their nutritional traits. Significant positive correlations were recorded among nutritional traits. The first three informative principal components had a total variability of 80.270%. Landraces in a biplot and dendrogram clustered closely to the nutritional components they strongly relate with, either positively or negatively. In five distinct clusters, landraces NRC, KSP, and NRB were singletons in Clusters I, II, and V, respectively. Cluster (III) consisted of NqSC, KSC, KRI, NSRC, and DSI; whereas Cluster IV grouped landraces NSRC, RRP, MSC, NSRP, NqRC, and RSP. High heritability estimates and genetic advances were recorded among nutritional traits. Therefore, this study serves as a reference for potential L. siceraria germplasm with ideal nutritional composition for future breeding programs.