Studies on intervarietal hybrids in cowpea

Abstract

Among the green vegetables cultivated in Kerala, cowpea (Vigna ungulculata L.) occupies about 70 per cent of the total area. At present cowpea cultivation in the state is showing a declining trend due to the low productivity of the available local varieties. The highly contrasting systems of cultivation of cowpea in the various parts and in different seasons in the State compels compels cowpea breeders to evolve varieties of different combinations of plant, pod and seed characters. This is possible by combining of desirable characteristics found distributed in different varieties, through hybridisation followed by selection.