Phenotypic Diversity and Agronomic Characterization of Local Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) Landraces in Southern Zambia

African Journal of Agriculture | Vol. 13, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 074–081

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJA/000743

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Phenotypic Diversity and Agronomic Characterization of Local Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) Landraces in Southern Zambia

Names of Authors: Chileshe M. Mwaba¹, Sitali S. Mubita¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Plant Science, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract: Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) is an underutilized, highly drought-tolerant indigenous African legume capable of yielding well in nutrient-poor soils. Despite its food security value, it lacks structured breeding programs, leaving farmers reliant on uncharacterized local landraces. This study evaluated the phenotypic diversity and agronomic traits of 32 Bambara groundnut landraces collected from smallholders across southern Zambia. The field evaluation used a randomized complete block design with three replications. Quantitative and qualitative traits were documented following standard Bioversity International descriptors. High phenotypic variability was observed across all quantitative parameters (p < 0.01). Days to 50% flowering ranged from 42 to 58 days, while 100-seed weight varied between 38.4 and 72.5 g. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated that the first three principal components accounted for 74.8% of the total morphological variance, driven primarily by seed weight, shell thickness, pod count per plant, and canopy spread. Cluster analysis divided the 32 landraces into four distinct morphological groups. Cluster II comprised early-maturing, high-yielding landraces that averaged 1.84 t/ha under rainfed conditions, making them ideal candidates for immediate breeding initiatives. These results highlight a rich genetic reservoir within local Zambara Bambara groundnut stocks that can be leveraged to develop resilient legume varieties for semi-arid zones.

Keywords: Vigna subterranea, Underutilized legumes, Phenotypic diversity, Principal component analysis, Landraces, Agronomic yield

Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 10, 2026; Revised: June 18, 2026; Accepted: July 12, 2026; Published: August 28, 2026

Citation: Mwaba, C. M., & Mubita, S. S. (2026). Phenotypic Diversity and Agronomic Characterization of Local Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) Landraces in Southern Zambia. African Journal of Agriculture, 13(8), 074–081. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJA/000743

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