Promiscuous varieties have the potential to increase soyabean (
Glycine max
(L.) Merrill) production of resource poor farmers who cannot afford artificial inoculum. Some varieties grown by smallholders are known to be promiscuous but their yields are reported to have declined overtime, yet researchers questions their purity. It is suspected that these varieties are made up of mixtures of genotypes with varying nodulation capacities. A study was carried out to quantify diversity in two promiscuous varieties, Local, and A&11 using morphological markers to initiate mass selection to reconstitute the original varieties. Eight Phenotipic Groups (PGs) were identified in the variety Local mainly based on days to flowering, growth habit and flower colour, whereas in the variety A&11, days to flowering, number of primary branches, and response to rust infection revealed seven PGs. A second study evaluated the agronomic performance of the PGs in comparison with a specifically nodulating commercial variety Storm. Five of the PGs identified in A711 had significantly (P<0.01) higher grain yield than the commercial standard. All eight PGs identified in Local yielded the same as the commercial standard.
