Evaluation of Fonio (Digitaria exilis) Varieties for Improved Agronomic Traits in the Guinea and Sudan Savannah Agroecological Zones of Ghana

Abstract

Background and Objective. Fonio is categorized as one of the neglected, under-utilized, or orphan crops of West Africa due to its poor yields and inadequate research information for its improvement and use. The need to improve the agronomic traits of this crop and also explore the possibility of growing it in different agroecologies has been felt over the years. A study was therefore conducted during the 2019 cropping season to determine variations among Fonio accessions and also assess the influence of genotype/accession, location, and genotype x location on growth and total grain yield of Fonio. Materials and Methods. Five accessions of the crop were planted in two locations in northern Ghana (Guinea and Sudan savannah) and replicated three times using factorial experiment in randomized complete block design. Results. The study indicated significant (P<0.05) variations among accessions for most of the attributes measured. Accession OUSAI with 75 days to physiological maturity (DPHM) recorded highest grain yield of 1015.10 kg/ha, and NFAS4 with 98 DPHM recorded the least grain yield of 713.23 kg/ha. The most lodged accession was OUAS1 which recorded 65% lodging of its total plant population, and the least lodged accessions (NFAS4 and EYAS5) recorded about 10% lodging each. Conclusion. The results demonstrated a significant (P<0.05) diversity among the accessions used in the study and influence of genotype/accession x location on growth and total grain yield of Fonio.