Diallel analysis of genetic determinism for agro morphological traits, β-carotene, and dry matter content in 216 sweet potato genotypes from crosses of five parental varieties in Burkina Faso

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Résumé

This study aimed to investigate the mode of inheritance of key traits in sweet potato, specifically root tuber yield (RTY), β-carotene content (β-CAR), and dry matter content (DMC). A total of 216 genotypes derived from crosses among five parental lines were evaluated using a diallel mating design without selfing. Field trials were conducted during the 2024 rainy season at two sites in Burkina Faso: CREAF/K in Kamboinsé and ANVAR in Bagré Pôle. An alpha-lattice design with three replications and five blocks per replication was used. Analysis of general combining ability (GCA) revealed BF59 and Tuskegee_Orange as the best parents for improving RTY, Songre and Tuskegee_Orange for β-CAR, and BF59 and Jewell for DMC. Specific combining ability (SCA) results highlighted the cross Tuskegee_Orange × BF59 as the most promising for RTY, and Tuskegee_Orange × Songre for both β CAR and DMC. Broad-sense heritability estimates were high for β-CAR and DMC, suggesting strong genetic control of these traits. These findings provide valuable insights for sweetpotato breeding programs aiming to improve yield and nutritional quality. The identified parents and hybrid combinations offer significant potential for the development of superior sweetpotato varieties in Burkina Faso and similar agroecological zones.
Key words: Burkina Faso, sweet potato, diallel, combining ability.

Mots-clés

Burkina Faso, sweet potato, diallel, combining ability.