| Abstrakt: |
Experimental studies were conducted to evaluate 54 genotypes of cowpea for genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance among varieties for 17 characters under study. The estimates of phenotypic coefficient of variation for all parameters were higher than that of the genotypic coefficient of variation suggest that there was an environmental influence on the performance of the genotypes. A high heritability value coupled with high genetic advance as per cent has been noticed in the parameters like number of nodes per plant, seed yield, biomass per plant, haulm yield, number of branches per plant, number of seed per pod, peduncle length, pod length, plant height, 100 seed weight, NDVI, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe, content indicate the presence of a weak or slight environmental influence and prevalence of additive gene action in gene expression. Characters namely days to 50 per cent flowering and SPAD recorded a high heritability with low and moderate genetic advance, respectively suggesting the prevalence of non additive gene action. The information on genetic variability among the cowpea genotypes studied showed that there is sufficient genetic variation for all the traits and considerable progress in cowpea breeding could be achieved by exploiting these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
