Abstract:
Morphological characterization of genotypes is fundamental in providing information on their genetic status to guide on their
conservation and improvement. The objective of this study was to determine agro-morphological diversity within horned melon in
Kenya. The study was carried out in two seasons at the University of Embu in Kenya. The study characterized 19 horned melon
accessions collected from different agro-ecological zones in Eastern, Central and Western regions in Kenya. The experiment was laid out
in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Morphological characterization of the accessions was based on melon
descriptors from International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) with slight modifications. Significant differences were observed
in all the quantitative traits except the number of branches and main vine length. However, qualitative variations were only observed in
fruit shape, rind colour and seed shape. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) showed that fruit weight, main vine length and days to
maturity had the highest contribution to the observed diversity. Cluster analysis separated the accessions into seven groups with
between classes diversity of 79.20% and within classes diversity of 20.80%. The diversity observed can be exploited by plant breeders
for genetic improvement of the crop.
