Estimates of genetic parameters in cowpea genotypes

Abstract

Cowpea is a crop of great nutritional value, possessing great genetic variability, ample capacity of adaptation, high productive potential, but its genetic potential has been little explored. The objective of this work was to evaluate genetic parameters and correlations between components of the production, plant architecture and beginning of flowering in 20 genotypes of cowpea. The work was carried out in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with twenty treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of fifteen advanced lines and five cultivars of cowpea. The obtained data were submitted to analysis of homogeneity, normality and variance, for determination of genetic parameters and phenotypic, genotypic and environmental correlations. Plant height, first pod height, number of pods per plant, pod weight, pod length, number of grains per pod, grain index, 100 grain weight and productivity were evaluated. The results allowed to conclude that genetic variability was observed for all the characteristics and that the increase in grain yield can be obtained through the indirect selection of the number of pods per plant, pod weight and number of grains per pod characteristics.