S. Nanyangwe¹, A. Ndeve², P. Fato³, P. Munisse⁴

¹²Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agronomy and Forest Engineering, Mozambique, Maputo. Emails: suwilanjinanyangwe02@gmail.com (SN); ndevegod@gmail.com (AN)

³⁴Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM), Mozambique, Maputo. Emails: factomagunge@gmail.com (PF); pmunisse@gmail.com (PM)

Introduction: Genetic improved diversity plays a critical role in crop improvement by providing a foundation for selecting traits such as high yield, resistance to pests and diseases, stress tolerance or nutritional quality. Maize landraces from Mozambique, conserved in the gene bank, represent a rich but underutilized source of genetic variation.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the genetic diversity of 47 maize landraces and two improved varieties as checks, using 26 agro-morphological traits and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers.

Methodology: Field evaluations are underway at the Chókwè research station using a 7×7 simple lattice design with three replications. Morphological data are being collected based on maize descriptors developed by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, while leaf samples from representative plants will be genotyped using single-nucleotide polymorphism markers. Planned statistical analyzes include analysis of variance, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and population structure analysis using R statistical software and a model-based population structure analysis software.

Results: The study is ongoing, and it is anticipated that the findings will reveal significant variation among landraces in both phenotypic traits and genetic makeup.

Conclusions: The expected results will provide critical insights into the genetic structure and trait variability of Mozambican maize landraces. These findings will support the identification of locally adapted promising genotypes for breeding programs targeting improved performance under local conditions.

Keywords: Genetic diversity, Maize landraces, Single-nucleotide polymorphism markers, Agro-morphological traits