Morphological and Agronomic Variability of Edible Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) Accessions Cultivated in Côte d’Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire, the cultivation of edible nutgrass (Cyperus esculentus L.) is mainly carried out by Senufo, Djimini, and Lobi women using traditional techniques. Given its importance in terms of food, medicine, and economics, promoting this sector is a major asset in reducing nutritional insecurity. However, the diversity of this crop remains poorly researched. This study aimed to characterize the agromorphological diversity of 27 tigernut accessions from four major production areas (Korhogo, Sinématiali, Dabakala, and Doropo) in a randomized experimental design with three replicates, set up in Bouaflé. Twenty-one morphological and agronomic traits related to growth, flowering, production, and yield were measured. High coefficients of variation (CV > 30%) revealed significant variability between accessions. Hierarchical classification analysis (HCA) structured the accessions into two distinct genetic groups. Group I was characterized by vegetative parameters and formed from accessions from the four study locations. Group II consisted of accessions from Korhogo and Doropo and was characterized by production parameters. Discriminant factor analysis (DFA) identified the number of mature tubers (NMT) and the total number of leaves (TNL) as the most discriminating traits. The results of this study will contribute to the implementation of a genetic improvement program for edible tiger nuts in Côte d'Ivoire.