Reviving Lablab (Lablab purpureus (L.)) with agronomically superior, market-attractive accessions in northern Tanzania

Lablab (Lablab purpureus (L.)) has substantial nutritional, agronomic, and cultural importance in Africa, yet remains largely underutilized. The study investigated the adaptation potential of 27 lablab accessions to northern Tanzania cropping systems through agronomic and consumer-preference screening. Early and late-season growth, relative maturity, pest susceptibility, grain yield, and consumer preference were evaluated in nine research station environments and eleven on-farm environments. Accession grain yield was highly variable; some accessions yielded almost 2000 kg ha-1 in some environments while experiencing crop failure in others. Under drought, Q 6880B and HA-4 yielded 1185 and 585% higher than the average, owing to early flowering and avoidance of mid-season high temperatures and drought. Stability analysis identified DL1002 and Q 6880B as high yielders and most responsive to high-yield environments. PI195851 and Kola Black yielded poorly and were not responsive to better environments. Karamoja Red and Eldoret Black 2 yielded well on-farm and were preferred in sensory evaluations by most farm communities. Some communities preferred lower-yielding cream-colored accessions (ECHO Cream). Q 6880B was high-yielding but was not preferred due to its bitter taste. The study demonstrated lablab's potential as a drought-resilient crop and the necessity of integrating agronomic performance with consumer preference to drive wider adoption. Key words: Cultivars, consumer preference, yield stability.