APPLICATION OF PRINCIPAL COMPONENT AND STABILITY ANALYSES TO SOME TRAITS IN FORAGE LEGUMES

Abstract

Background. Availability of quality feed in adequate quantity for animals is a perennial problem. Its search results in conflicts between crop farmers and herders. Objectives. This research investigated three forage legumes in order to determine the most yielding, adaptable and important traits that could be used for forage improvement. Methodology. The forage legumes were laid out in randomised complete block design across three environments. Data collected on growth and yield parameters were subjected  to ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA) and stability analysis using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI). Results The result showed that there was significant (p < 0.05) difference among the forage legumes for vegetative traits, stress traits and yield, hence, they could be through breeding. For biomass yield, PC1 and PC2 accounted for 75.16 and 24.84% of G x E respectively based on AMMI. Lablab purpureus is the most yielding, stable, adapted to rain forest and savannah zones, with yield of 28,948.69 kg/ha. PCA revealed that the first three PCs accounted for 87% of the total variation. There was positive and significant association between biomass yield and vegetative traits. Implication. Flourishing vegetative growth is a good indicator of biomass yield. Conclusion. It is recommended that extension agents should encourage the adoption of lablab for production of feeds for ruminants, as it can serve as sustainable land use measure considering the modern restriction on land availability for grazing and solution to incessant pastoral and crop farmers crises in the tropics.