VARIATION AMONG MAIZE (ZEA-MAYS L) ACCESSIONS OF BENDEL STATE, NIGERIA - MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS OF AGRONOMIC DATA

Two multivariate techniques were used to characterize 30 maize accessions collected from three ecological zones of Bendel State, Nigeria. Differentiation of the 30 accessions into five distinct groups was achieved with the unweighted variable group method of the average linkage cluster analysis of 34 agronomic characters. Four of the taxonomic groups contained at least three accessions each, while a fifth group contained only one. The single accession contained in the fifth group was characterised by very early maturity, deeply pigmented leaves and ear husks and short statured plants. Clustering of the accessions into different phenetic groups followed substantially along geographical and traditionally trading routes. A few cases of overlapping of accessions from different geographical locations were obtained. Principal component analysis revealed that days to 50% tasseling and silking, number of nodes/plant, ear length, ear weight, leaf width, and kernel colour were the principal discriminatory characters that differentiated the accessions. Sixty-four percent of the total variation among the 34 characters were accounted for by the first five principal components while the first and second components accounted for 26 and t4 respectively.