FA, PCA and cluster analysis
Multivariate analyses identified characters that discriminated genotypes and grouped the materials into biologically useful clusters.
Research programme · Telfairia occidentalis
Fluted pumpkin: studying variation so improvement can be deliberate.
Fluted pumpkin is an indigenous vegetable with substantial biological, nutritional and economic importance. My work on the crop has developed over more than two decades, moving from diversity and yield variation to reproductive biology, seedling traits, stability and breeding implications.
20+ yearsof sustained interest in fluted pumpkin genetics and improvement
The research question behind the programme
Underutilised crops are often rich in diversity but poor in the organised evidence needed for systematic breeding. The programme asks practical questions: how much useful variation exists, which traits matter for yield and adaptation, how are those traits related, and how can reproductive and seedling biology inform selection and improvement?
The work began with undergraduate research on genetic variability and character association, continued through a master's investigation of 35 genotypes from seven southern Nigerian states, and developed into doctoral research on diversity, stability, floral biology and apomixis across agro-ecologies.
PhD evidence base
Twenty-five genotypes, four environments and several complementary analytical lenses.
The doctoral study evaluated 25 genotypes collected from 11 Nigerian states in Akure and Abeokuta across the 2012 and 2013 rainy seasons.
AMMI, GGE and stability statistics
The work detected significant genotype, environment and genotype × environment effects, with five genotypes showing wide adaptability and above-average marketable leaf yield.
Sexual and apomictic reproduction
The study found evidence that both sexual and apomictic forms of reproduction occur naturally in fluted pumpkin and identified vine length and leaf area as useful selection traits for marketable leaf yield.
Research arc
Selected milestones in the programme.
These outputs show how the research questions have broadened while remaining connected to crop improvement.
2002–2012
Genetic variability, diversity and trait relationships
Early work documented variation, heritability and associations among agronomic characters, creating a quantitative foundation for selection.
2015–2016
Yield stability, seedling traits and reproductive biology
The programme expanded into multi-environment performance, heritability of marketable leaf-yield components, seedling variation, floral biology and apomixis.
2018–2023
Phenotypic and landrace diversity
Later work revisited phenotypic diversity and Southern Nigerian landraces, extending the body of evidence on useful variation and trait relationships.
Current
Earlier sex identification and molecular questions
Current lines recorded in the academic documents include SRY-gene work and postgraduate research using machine learning for early sex identification in fluted pumpkin genotypes.
Selected outputs
Publications from the fluted pumpkin programme.
2023Morphological Trait Variation and Correlation Analysis in Landraces of Southern Nigerian Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F.)Aworunse, O. S., Popoola, J. O., Fayeun, L. S., Ahuekwe, E. F. & Obembe, O. O. In Biotechnological Approaches to Sustainable Development Goals, Springer Nature.↗2018Phenotypic Traits Diversity in Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F.)Fayeun, L. S., Omikunle, A. O., Famogbiele, A. A. & Oyetunde, A. O. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science, 24(2), 1–7.↗2016Estimates of Genetic Variability for Seedling Traits in Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F.)Fayeun, L. S., Hammed, L. A., Oduwaye, O. A., Madike, J. U. & Ushie, E. U. Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, 4(2), 262–270.↗2016Floral Biology of Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook. F.)Fayeun, L. S., Ojo, D. K., Odiyi, A. C., Adebisi, A. M. & Hammed, L. A. Notulae Scientia Biologicae, 8(4), 482–488.↗