Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) originated from Africa where it is an important grain legume. The knowledge of genetic variability level within a crop species is an important step towards improving it. The objective of this study was to determine the level and structure of genetic diversity of bambara groundnut from Burkina Faso. In this study, 92 bambara groundnut accessions from three climatic zones of Burkina Faso were characterized with 17 random amplified polymorphic DNA markers. The results revealed a high level of polymorphism (100%) for all loci tested and a total of 161 alleles counted with an average allelic richness of 9.471 alleles per locus. The average expected heterozygosity (0.270) reflected a moderate genetic diversity within the collection. A dendrogram established by the “neighbour joining” method classified the 92 accessions into three mixed clusters. Moderate genetic diversity between the clusters was also observed. These results could lead to the development of conservation strategies and the implementation of varietal breeding in Burkina Faso.

Bambara Groundnut, Genetic Diversity, RAPD Markers, Burkina Faso.