Bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdcourt] is one of the most important subsistance legumes cultivated in Burkina Faso, due to the high nutrient content of its seeds. However, bambara groundnut production can be seriously constrained by fungal diseases that reduce yields. Macrophomina phaseolina is one of fungal pathogen that causes important damage in bambara groundnut fields in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study was to identify sources of resistance to M. phaseolina among bambara groundnut landraces. Thus, a set of 20 genotypes was assessed under greenhouse conditions for their resistance to three strains of M. phaseolina. Comparison of the three strains of pathogen showed that Sahelian and Sudano-sahelian strains have the highest index of disease severity (7.13) on a scale of 1 to 9, respectively on landraces E86 and E62. The lowest index of disease severity (2.33) was recorded with Sahel strain of pathogen on landrace KVS 235_100GY. The genotypes were grouped in three classes such as resistant, moderately susceptible and susceptible genotypes. Each group consisted of genotypes with specific reaction to each strain. Six genotypes were resistant to all strains of M. phaseolina, three moderately susceptible and eleven specifically susceptible or resistant to each strain of the pathogen. The genotypes with stable resistance to all strains could be recommended to producers in all the three climatic zones and those with partial resistance according climatic zone.

Disease severity, Resistance, Macrophomina phaseolina, Burkina Faso, Vigna subterranea;