Phenomic characterization of twenty-four accessions of spider plant (Cleome gynandra L.) the Upper East region of Ghana

Spider plant (Cleome gynandra L.) is one of the most important and highly prioritised African leafy vegetables consumed in many parts of Africa due to its rich source of vitamins A and C and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and protein. In order to improve upon yield and promote the breeding of improved cultivars, this study was carried out to understand variation in morpho-agronomic characters of twenty-four accessions of Cleome gynandra in Ghana. The accessions were evaluated for morpho-agronomic traits using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. There were variations among the accessions in terms of growth habit, stem pubescence, stem colour, flower colour and petiole colour. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were recorded among the accessions for plant height, petiole length, number of seeds per pod and 100 seed weight. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on the morpho-agronomic traits grouped the accessions into four distinct clusters suggesting diversity among the accessions. Correlation values among the agro-morphological characters revealed that some of the traits were associated with each other. Nevertheless, the extent of correlation values differed from one trait pair to the other. Accessions KNUST001, KNUST005, KNUST006, KNUST011 and KNUST020 recorded higher values in terms of number of leaflets per compound leaf accompanied with higher leaf length values. Desirable genotypes among the accessions identified could be used in developing improved varieties to reap the full potential benefits of this important indigenous leafy vegetable.