Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of bambara groundnut landraces to heat and water stress.

Materials and Methods: Mottled brown, black, mottled white and white landraces were subjected to watering regimes (watering once in a week till maturity and watering once in a week till the 30^th day after planting. The study was a 4 x 2 factorial experiment laid in a complete randomized design with three replicates. Data collected included canopy spread, plant height, number of stem and leaves, first flower appearance and days to senescence on different sampling occasions (20, 45 and 60 days after sowing). Heat tolerance of landraces was determined using cell membrane thermostability test.

Results: The experiment revealed that the crop has different canopy forms which were significantly different among the various landraces. Watering up to 30 days, black landrace produced shorter plants whiles white landrace produced taller plants as compared to their respective heights when they were watered to maturity. The number of stems and leaves was significantly influenced by watering regime. Watering till maturity decreased days to flowering and also increased days to senescence compared to plants for which watering was withheld after 30 days of growth. The cell membrane thermostability test revealed that mottled brown landrace was able to sustain significantly less injury as compared to the other landraces.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the growth of bambara groundnut landraces differ in response to different watering regimes. Plants that were watered till maturity performed better in terms of growth and development. Black bambara groundnut landrace having the spreading canopy form was the first to reach senescence even under irrigation till maturity. White bambara groundnut under irrigation performed well in terms of vegetative growth, followed by mottled brown and mottled white landraces.

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