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- Sesamum alatum Thonn., of the Pedaliaceae family is rich in nutrients and is also used for medicinal purposes, but it is still collected from the wild. It thrives well in sandy soils which are known for low fertility and moisture content. Rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal usually keep cows, goats, poultry and sheep as their livestock, where they also source organic manure for subsistence farming. Animal manure improves both plant and soil properties. Application of animal manure also results in an increase in growth, yield and nutrient content of leafy vegetables such as Amaranthus, Abelmoschus, and Corchorus species. In India, Sesamum indicum, a domesticated relative of S. alatum, also had its vegetative, reproductive and nutrient properties improved with the application of poultry manure. A selection of organic manure(s) for S. alatum domestication is possible by reviewing the use of various domesticated animal manures to improve morpho-agronomic traits and nutrient content of leafy vegetables. Therefore, determining an agronomic protocol for this species in South Africa is a priority for future research.
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- Lagenaria siceraria is one of the most important cucurbitaceous vegetables due to its prolific bearing habit, its edibility as a cooked vegetable, and its low cost of cultivation. The objective of this study was to evaluate variation in the morpho-agronomic traits among selected landraces and their F1 populations. The landraces were crossed based on the North Carolina II genetic design to develop F1 populations. The twelve F1 populations along with seven parental landraces were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among quantitative traits suggesting considerable genetic variability. The genotypes displayed significant variation in most qualitative traits of fruits and seeds. The first five principal components of quantitative traits among the evaluated 19 genotypes contributed 74.84% of the variability. The biplot and dendrogram clustered the genotypes into five clusters according to their vegetative, fruit, and seed traits. The highest value for the broad-sense heritability estimate was recorded for days to edible harvest maturity trait. The F1 progenies were more variable than the landraces and can therefore be used for further Lagenaria siceraria genetic improvement.
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