Variability and path analysis in bush type vegetable cowpea

Abstract

The present investigation aimed at evaluation of variability for yield and its association with yield related characters along with their direct and indirect influence on yield was carried out at the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. Data for the study was generated from a field experiment conducted during the period 2000-2001. Twenty genotypes of bush type vegetable cowpea which included six improved varieties and 14 local cultivars were evaluated for yield and related characters in a field experiment in randomised block design with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed high variability among the genotypes for all the characters studied viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, number of days to first harvest, length of harvest period, duration, length of main stem, number of primary branches, number of pod clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant, pod length, pod girth, pod weight, number of seeds per pod and yield of green pods per plant. High phenotypic arid genotypic coefficients of variation were observed for length of main stem, number of primary branches and pod weight. The variety Vu 6 (Arka Garima) recorded the highest vegetable pod yield and pod weight. Vu 1 (Arka Suman) recorded the highest number of pods per plant. High heritability along with high genetic advance was seen for all the characters considered. Pod yield per plant showed high positive genotypic correlation with number of pods per plant, pod weight, number of pods per cluster, number of pod clusters per plant and pod girth. Path analysis revealed that number of pods per plant and pod weight were the main yield contributing characters due to their high direct effect on pod yield.