Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet - diversity, potential use and determination of a core collection of this multi-purpose tropical legume

Two germplasm collections of Lablab purpureus L. Sweet totalling 249 access ions were grown in the field in Australia and Ethiopia and characterised us ing a common set of morphological and agronomic (M-A) attributes. Data from each site were analysed separately using multi-variate analysis and a clas sification constructed for each collection. There was considerable diversit y within both collections, especially that maintained in Ethiopia. Time to flowering, seed weight, and plant height were the most important attributes in determining group allocation in both classifications. Both collections had a high proportion of L. purpureus subsp. purpureus, especially accessio ns similar to the Australian cultivars Highworth and Rongai. They also had good representation of the less common L. purpureus subsp. uncinatus Verdc. less common landraces and wild collections from either Africa or India. Wh en combined, the two classifications provided an overview of diversity and highlighted the similarities and dissimilarities between the two collection s. The vast range in plant types supported the view that lablab has the cap acity to be a multi-purpose legume for both commercial and smallholder agri culture. Some important and less common germplasm identified were Ethiopian domesticated subsp. uncinatus, Ethiopian subsp. purpureus landraces collec ted from regional markets, semi-domesticated and wild accessions from south ern Africa, and wild accessions from India. Using this overview, a core col lection of germplasm was selected, which provides researchers with a sound basis for future plant breeding and agronomic studies with this important t ropical legume.