Diversity study of Cowpea genotypes for fodder traits
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Date
2020
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DRPCAU, Pusa
Abstract
The present research programme entitled “Diversity Study of Cowpea
Genotypes for Fodder Traits’’ was conducted with 23 cowpea genotypes collected
from various places across the country in the research farm of Dr. RPCAU, Pusa
during the kharif season of 2019. The material was assessed using RBD (randomized
block design) in 3 replications. Fifteen traits were selected for present study viz.
number of days to 50% flowering, height of the plant (cm), no. of leaves/ plant, leaf
length (cm), leaf width (cm), stem thickness (cm), leaf-stem ratio, dry matter %, leaf
fresh weight/ plant, dry weight of stem/ plant (kg/plant), production efficiency
(q/ha/day), relative water content, seed yield/ plant (gm), dry matter yield (kg/plant),
green fodder yield /plant (kg/plant).
ANOVA exhibited significant MSS values due to genotype for all traits,
indicative of the presence of ample amount of variability in the cowpea genotypes
used for the study.
The PCV values recorded were superior than the GCV values which was
attributed for the effect of environment on the morphological appearance of the traits.
In the study, high heritability alongside high genetic advance was observed for most
of the traits, Foresaid estimate for the traits taken into study indicates the meagre
influence of environment in governing respective phenotypes, paving the way for
direct selection for early maturing genotypes.
The correlation analysis revealed that the trait green fodder yield was
correlated positively as well as significantly with traits viz. Days to 50% flowering,
Plant height, Number of leaves/ plant, Stem thickness, Leaf : stem ratio, and
Production efficiency. Path analysis divulged that a high positive direct effect on
green fodder yield was reported by the traits leaf : stem ratio followed by leaf width
(cm), days to 50% flowering, dry matter yield (kg/plant). While, the high negative
direct effect was recorded for leaf fresh weight/ plant (gm) followed by stem
thickness (cm), seed yield/ plant (gm), and dry weight of stem (kg/plant). The residual
effect in path analysis (genotypic) was 0.2127, so the 79% of the total variation in
GFY can be explained by the fifteen characters taken for study.
Based on diversity using Tocher’s method, the 23 genotypes were divided into
6 clusters. Among all the characters studied, Leaf :stem ratio contributed maximum to
the diversity followed by the Leaf fresh weight/ plant, dry weight of stem/ plant,
number of leaves / plant, production efficiency, seed yield/ plant, stem thickness, dry
matter %, dry matter yield, green fodder yield and plant height. The inter-cluster
distances were recorded higher than the intra-cluster distances further indicating a
considerable amount of diversity in the genotypes involved. The intra cluster
distances were recorded only in the clusters I and cluster II, as the clusters in III, IV,
V and VI were composed of only one genotypes each.