Evaluation of Sponge Gourd Landraces in Line with the Reliability of Names Given by Farmers

Abstract

Reliability study on the names of landraces given by farmers is useful for on-farm management of agro-biodiversity. This paper evaluated whether the names given by farmers to sponge gourd [Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem.] are reliable. Information on sponge gourd landraces based on the local names was collected through household survey from Kaski and Bara districts of Nepal. Important landraces of these two sites were collected and grown in on-station in Kaski. A total of 25 qualitative data were studied in three individual plants of each landrace. Simple matching coefficients, cluster and principal components analyses were applied. Reliability analyses, number of farmers handling the landraces by same name, simple matching coefficients between all possible pairs, clustering and principal components plotting showed that the names of sponge gourd landraces given by farmers of Kaski and Bara districts were reliable or consistent in naming their varieties. Therefore, landraces richness based on the names of sponge gourd could reflect the genetic diversity and can be considered accordingly for conservation, either on-farm or ex-situ.

Key words: reliable names; sponge gourd; reliability analysis; qualitative traits; multivariate analysis

DOI: 10.3126/njst.v11i0.4083

Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 11 (2010) 1-8