Malika, an improved variety of vegetable cowpea

Abstract

In an investigation to identify a high yielding vegetable cowpea type with good quality green pods, 13 genotypes were collected from different agroclimatic regions of Kerala and 20 single plant selections made. Based on yield and yield attributes, nine promising selections were subjected to comparative yield trial for three seasons. Even though Selection 16 and 7 ranked first and second respectively for yield of vegetable pods in the comparative yield trials, pod length and number of seeds per potl were maximum for Selection 7 which is a single plant selection from Trivandrum Local. The results of the farm trials conducted at 10 locations in Trivamlrum district revealed the superiority of Selection 7 over the others with respect to the yield of vegetable pods. Hence, Selection 7 was released as "Malika" having a duration of 100 days. It is suitable for cultivation in the homestead during kharif and in the rice fallow during summer in Trivandrum district of Kerala.