STUDY OF CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND GENETIC VARIABILITY ASSESSMENT OF COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.)
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Date
2021
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DRPCAU, PUSA
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Study of character Association and Genetic Variability Assessment of Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata L. Walp.)” was conducted at “Vegetable Research Farm, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar”. The experimental material consists of twenty-five genotypes of cowpea including Kashi Kanchan as check and studied for fourteen quantitative traits in randomized block design (RBD) consist of three replications during the Zaid season of 2021.
The observations were recorded for eighteen quantitative traits viz. “germination (%), plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, days to first flower initiation, number of nodes on main stem, number of pods per cluster, days to first picking, pod length (m), pod diameter (cm), pod weight (g), number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight (g) and pod yield per plant (g)”. All the fourteen quantitative traits were analyzed for “analysis of variance, genotypic and phenotypic variance, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, heritability, genetic advance, genetic advance as percent of mean, correlation analysis, path analysis and genetic divergence” to study the nature and the magnitude of variability and diversity present among these genotypes.
The analysis of variance had significant variation among all the fourteen characters studied. In common, the values recorded for phenotypic coefficient of variation was higher than the values observed for the genotypic coefficient of variation with very narrow gap between these two parameters. The high genetic heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for maximum number of traits namely “plant height, number of branches per plant, number of nodes on main stem, number of pods per cluster, pod length, pod diameter, pod weight, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight, pod yield per plant.” which implies that selection for these traits is favorable.
The GCV was greater than the PCV. The pod yield per plant was positively and significantly associated with “plant height, number of branches per plant, number of nodes on main stem, number of pods per cluster, pod length, pod diameter, pod weight, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod”.
Highest intra-cluster distance observed in Cluster I and Cluster II. Maximum inter-cluster distance was exhibited between Cluster number IV & V, Cluster III & V, Cluster I & V, Cluster II & IV, Cluster I & Cluster II, Cluster II & V indicating the chances of getting high yielding recombinants would be better if the crosses are made among the genotypes of these groups. The highest contribution towards genetic divergence was recorded by “number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight, pod yield per plant and pod length”, Hence, improvement of these traits can be possible.