PROSPECTION, COLLECTE ET CARACTERISATION AGROMORPHOLOGIQUE DES MORPHOTYPES DE VOANDZOU [VIGNA SUBTERRANEA (L.) VERDC. (FABACEAE)] DE LA ZONE SAVANICOLE EN COTE D’IVOIRE

In Africa, Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.] is the third most important grain-legume after groundnut (Arachis hypogaea ) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). An extended mission of exploration and collection has been achieved in the savannah area of Côte d’Ivoire to acquire knowledge on the plant management by farmers. Agromorphological performances of 15 collected landraces have been evaluated in experimental plots established in Korhogo. Sixty six (66) villages were visited and 156 accessions of Bambara groundnut were collected. The results showed that Bambara groundnut is mainly cultivated by women (90 %). The landraces Ci2, Ci5, Ci6 and Ci1 have been identified as the mostly grown and consumed in savannah area. Chemical products ( cypermetrin and profenofos) and ash were often used for seeds storage. Moreover, Ocimum canum , Hyptis spicigera , Azadirachta indica and Khaya senegalensis are also used in seeds stock. Multifactorial analysis indicated three distinctive groups of landrace: Early maturing landraces with low vegetative development and low seed yield; late maturing landraces with high vegetative development and high seed yield; late maturing landraces with medium vegetative development and high value of seed yield components