GREEN BEAN YIELD AND PATH ANALYSIS IN COWPEA LANDRACES

Edicleide Macêdo Da Silva,Paulo Sérgio Lima E Silva,Thaisy Gardênia Gurgel De Freitas,Júlio César Dovale

doi:10.1590/1983-21252016v29n411rc

Edicleide Macêdo Da Silva, Paulo Sérgio Lima E Silva + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252016v29n411rc

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is widely cultivated in northeast Brazil for production of both green grains and dry grains. Green grains are cowpea grains with a 60 to 70% moisture content that are very appreciated by the local people. The cultivation of cowpea in northeast Brazil is performed mostly using landraces and the low yields achieved in some areas of that region are generally attributed to the cultivation of less productive landraces. The objectives of this research were to identify the best landraces in terms of green bean yield and the characters that hold the most positive direct effects on this yield via path analysis. Twelve landraces of undetermined growth were evaluated in two experiments conducted in Mossoró, Brazil. The first experiment (E1) was sprinkler-irrigated and the second (E2) was conducted under rainfed conditions, but was irrigated whenever necessary. Pod yield and dimensions and green grains were evaluated, in addition to the main grain yield components. A randomized block design with five replications was used. The data presented here identified eight landraces with the highest yields. In addition, cowpea yield was higher in the dry season (E1) than in the rainy season (E2). The number of pods per plant had the largest direct positive effect on green grain yield.

Highlights

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a multipurpose crop used mainly for the production of green grains and dry grains
The cultivation of cowpea in northeast Brazil is performed mostly using landraces and the low cowpea yields achieved in some areas of the region are generally attributed to the cultivation of less productive landraces
Green pod yield was affected by landraces (L) and experiments (E), but not by the interaction between L and E (Table 3)

Summary

Introduction

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a multipurpose crop used mainly for the production of green grains and dry grains. The cultivation of cowpea in northeast Brazil is performed mostly using landraces and the low cowpea yields achieved in some areas of the region are generally attributed to the cultivation of less productive landraces. There are few research institutions in northeast Brazil working on improving cowpea cultivars, and even fewer companies focused on producing improved seeds. According to some authors (BRESEGHELLO; COELHO, 2013), landraces have lower yield, but others have shown that some landraces may be more productive than improved cultivars (MKOI; CHIMPHANGO; DAKORA, 2009; PEKSEN, 2004). A landrace of a seed-propagated crop is a variable population, which is identifiable and usually has a local name; it lacks ‘‘formal’’ crop improvement, is characterized by specific adaptations to the environmental conditions of the cultivation area, and is closely associated with the uses of the people who have developed and continue to grow it (POLEGRI; NEGRI, 2010)

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