NEW STRAINS OF COWPEA (Vigna unguculata L.WALP.).

Abstract

This research was carried out at El-Baramoon Horticulture Research Farm, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt, during the summer seasons for five years. Seven cowpea genotypes, including 6 selected lines and Cream 7 cultivar were grown in randomized complete blocks design with three replications. These inbred lines obtained from Cream 7 cultivar after five generations of inbreeding and selection and were evaluated. The differences among means of most tested lines appeared significance and all the selection lines were superiors than check cultivar for the total yield trait of cowpea. The results indicated that the strains S3, S2 and S6, respectively were superiors than check cultivar (Cream 7) for the qualitative and quantitative traits of cowpea crop. The results revealed that the pure line selection method within Cream 7 cultivar proved to be effective in separating new promising white lines superior of yield and quality. A correlation study indicated that the existence of high positive correlations between total yield and each of number of pods per plant, pod filling, dry weight per plant and 100 seed weight. On the other hand, all the studied traits except pod length and pod width were positively correlated with total yield at the two seasons of study. Finally, it must be concluded that such new selected superior lines S3, S2 and S6 respectively had superior for the qualitative and quantitative characters, in addition, their adaptability for Egyptian conditions. So, it could be utilized commercially as new promising cultivars or in breeding programs to be utilized from some promising traits.