Characterization and preliminary evaluation of some accessions of local germplasm of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens DCvar. utilis Wall) of Ghana

Velvet bean is a vigorously growing leguminous plant used for food, cover crop, and for soil improvement. Eight accessions of velvet beans, namely: 1739, 1740, 1741, 1742, 1743, 1744, 1745, and 1746 were collected from the Ashanti, Eastern, and Upper West Regions between 1982 and 1983. They were planted for characterization and preliminary evaluation in a replicated trial at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre at Bunso in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Qualitative characters like flower colour, plant pigmentation, and seed colour showed variability. Quantitative characters included both vegetative and reproductive characters. Characters like hypocotyl length, days to 50 per cent flowering and maturity, pods per plant, pod length, and 100-seed weight all showed variability. Accessions 1739, 1740,1741,1742,1743,1744, and 1745 had medium to large canopies and flowered (74-154 days) and matured (142-189 days) late, attributes which will make them good cover crops due to their vigorous vegetative growth. Accession 1746 had a light canopy, flowered early (49 days), set pod and matured early (118 days), and had high pods per plant (50.0). Ghana Jnl agric. Sci. Vol.31(1) 1998: 131-13