Marappa, N.PULIGUNDLA TH2023-01-142023-01-142022-01-17https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810192312To assess genetic variability for yield and to identify zinc rich genotypes the present study was carried out using 263 cowpea germplasm accessions sown in augmented block design. Analysis of variance was significant for yield and its attributes indicating the sufficient variability among the genotypes used for study. Genetic variability estimates, PCV and GCV were found to be high for seed yield plant-1, moderate for clusters plant-1, pods cluster-1, pods plant-1 and 100-seed weight. Characters seed yield plant-1, 100-seed weight, pods plant-1 and clusters plant-1 recorded high heritability coupled with genetic advance as per cent of mean indicating the influence of additive genes in controlling these traits. Cowpea germplasm were grouped into 3 clusters following K-mean clustering maximum number of (167) accessions were grouped in cluster Ⅱ. Maximum inter cluster distance (53.20) was observed for cluster Ⅰ and Ⅲ and maximum intra cluster distance (22.70) was observed for cluster Ⅱ. The nearest cluster distance (46.4) was observed for cluster Ⅰ and Ⅱ and farthest distance (53.2) for cluster Ⅰ and Ⅲ. Sixty promising genotypes were used for estimation of zinc content. Germplasm accessions EC100087, IC426801 (Cluster Ⅰ) and EC18118 (Cluster Ⅲ) were identified as genetically divergent with zinc rich and high seed yield plant-1. These accessions could be used as parents in cowpea biofortification programmes.EnglishThesis