Abstract
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to analyze the phenotypic correlation and path analysis of traits related to plant architecture, earliness and grain yield in F2, BC1 and BC2 generations, from crosses between cowpea cultivars BRS Carijó and BR14 Mulato. Most phenotypic correlations of the examined traits were concordant in statistical significance, with approximate values among the examined generations. For the trait seed weight, significant and positive phenotypic correlations were observed in the three generations only for the trait number of secondary branches. The values of the direct effects were in agreement with the values of the phenotypic correlations, which indicate true association by the phenotypic correlation among the traits of grain yield examined. Path analysis indicated that the selection of productive plants will result in early plants and an increased number of secondary branches. In F2, plants with shorter length of the main branch and shorter length of secondary branches can be obtained. The causal model explained 15 to 30% of the total variation in grain weight in relation to the traits examined. The analyses indicated the possibility of selecting plants with a higher and early grain yield, shorter length of primary branches and lower number of nodes, which are important variables for mechanical or semi-mechanical harvesting.
Highlights
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is one of the most adapted, versatile and nutritious legumes among the cultivated species, constituting an important food stuff and essential production component in dry climate regions of the tropics, covering part of Asia, the United States, the Middle East and Central and South America (Singh et al, 2002)
Plant habits and growth have direct influence on the response of cowpea to population management because of the observed decrease in grain production per plant, as a consequence of the increased plant population per hectare, which occurs to a lesser degree in the erect than in the climbing genotypes (Cardoso et al, 1997; Nangju et al, 1975)
Bezerra et al (2005) state that the plant architecture and the production system have an influence in determining the arrangement of more adequate plant number to efficiently take advantage of the production factors and maximize the production potential of the cultivar
Summary
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is one of the most adapted, versatile and nutritious legumes among the cultivated species, constituting an important food stuff and essential production component in dry climate regions of the tropics, covering part of Asia, the United States, the Middle East and Central and South America (Singh et al, 2002). The cowpea crop, traditionally explored in family farming systems, in rainfed agriculture and with a low level of technology, has been researched more intensively over the past few decades (Xavier, et al, 2005) This has led to an improvement in yield, which, among other factors, has attracted the attention of medium and large producers (Bezerra et al, 2008; Freire Filho et al, 2005), with emphasis in the region of the ‘Cerrados’, to use it in crop rotation with major crops, like corn and soybean. These facts have generated a demand for cultivars to meet the requirements of management and handling in technified systems. Bezerra et al (2005) state that the plant architecture and the production system have an influence in determining the arrangement of more adequate plant number to efficiently take advantage of the production factors and maximize the production potential of the cultivar
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