Genetic Variability, Heritability, and Clustering Pattern Exploration of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) Accessions for the Perfection of Yield and Yield-Related Traits

Table 3

The list of 27 quantitative morphological traits considered according to IPGRI, IITA, and BAMNET [45].

Sl. no.	Name of the traits	Code	Description and measurement type
(1) Phenological traits (3)
1	Days to emergence	DTE (d)	The number of days from planting to the arrival of 1^st typical leaf on the soil surface.
2	Days to fifty % flowering	D50%F (d)	Taken from seed germination to the arrival of 50% flowering(s)
3	Days to maturity	DTM (d)	Days number from sowing to initial time of harvest
(2) Growth and vegetative traits (9)
4	Plant height	PH (cm)	Data taken from five plants after ten weeks of sowing. Measured from the soil level to the tip of the topmost terminal leaflet
5	Number of branches per stem	NBPS	Data counted at the time of harvest, randomly from five stems of five healthy plants
6	Number of stems per plant	NStPP	Data counted at the time of harvest, randomly from five healthy plants
7	Number of petioles per plant	NPetPP	Data counted 2 weeks later of 1^st flowering, randomly from five healthy plants
8	Number of leaves per plant	NLPP	Data counted 2 weeks later of 1^st flowering, the average number of 5 plants
9	Number of nodes per stem	NNdPS	Data counted at the time of harvest, randomly from five stems of five healthy plants
10	Internode length	INdLn (cm)	Data measured at the time of ten weeks later of sowing, the average length of 4^th internode randomly from five longest stems of five healthy plants
11	Biomass fresh weight per plant	BFWP (g)	Recorded at harvest, randomly average number of 5 fresh plants
12	Biomass dry weight per plant	BDWP (g)	Weight of dried plant, recorded after maintaining the harvested plant dried in sun or oven (55°C for 48 hrs)
(3) Yield traits (15)
13	Total no. of pod per plant	TNPPP	Data counted at the time of harvest, randomly average values from 5 plants
14	Mature pod number per plant	NMPP	Data counted during harvesting, randomly average values from 5 plants
15	Immature pod number per plant	NImPP	Data counted during harvesting period, randomly average values from 5 plants using an OHAUS Precision Standard Measuring Scale
16	Fresh pod weight	FPW (g)	Recorded at the time of harvest, randomly average values from 5 plants using an OHAUS Precision Standard Measuring Scale
17	Dry pod weight	DPW (g)	Data measured after drying of pods (12% moisture) at 37°C within three weeks of harvest
18	Length of pod	Pod Ln (mm)	Data were taken within 2 months later of harvest, randomly average length from 5 pods. To measure the length, Digital Vernier caliper (cat. no.: 14-648-17, Fisher Brand Traceable, China) was used
19	Width of pod	Pod WD (mm)	Data were taken within 2 months later of harvest, randomly average length from 5 pods. Digital Vernier caliper (cat. no.: 14-648-17, Fisher Brand Traceable, China) was used to measure the length
20	Number of seed per plant	NSdPP	Data counted after dehusking the all pods, randomly average values from 5 plants
21	Dry seed weight per plant	DSWPP (g)	Data measured after drying of seeds (12% moisture) using an OHAUS Precision Standard Measuring Scale within 2 months of harvest
22	Length of seed	Seed Ln (mm)	Data were taken within 2 months later of harvest, randomly average length from 5 seeds. To measure the length, Digital Vernier caliper (cat. no.: 14-648-17, Fisher Brand Traceable, China) was used
23	Width of seed	Seed Wd (mm)	Data were taken within 2 months later of harvest, randomly average length from 5 seeds. Digital Vernier caliper (cat. no.: 14-648-17, Fisher Brand Traceable, China) was used to measure the length
24	Hundred seed weight	HSW (g)	Data measured of 100 dried seeds (12% moisture) using an OHAUS Precision Standard Measuring Scale within two months of harvest
25	Shelling percentage (%):	Shell%	Data measured within two months of harvest; the ratio of dry seed divided by dry pod weight (at 12% moisture content)
26	Harvest index	HI (%)	Measured using the formula of the ratio of Grain yield (kg per ha.)/biological yield (grain+straw)
27	Yield kg per hectare	Yield (kg/ha)	Data weighted of dried pods (at 12% moisture content) per plot, lastly converted the plot yield to a kilogram per hectare (kg/ha).