Diallel analysis in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp.)

Abstract

Seven diverse cowpea parents were selected and crossed in half diallel fashion in order to determine combining ability to identify promising hybrids for eleven traits including yield and its components.Analysis of variance for general and specific combining ability revealed that gca and sca variances were significant for all the characters. Whereas, comparison of σ2gca/ σ2sca indicated the non additive gene effects were predominance for all the characters except days to maturity, number of pod per plant and protein content. Among the parents CP-105 was proved to be a good general combiner for six characters viz., days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, seed yield per plant and protein content and GC-3 showed best gca effect for number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seed per pod, seed yield per plant and harvest index. While, JOB-129 was good general combiner for days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, 100 seed weight and protein content. Among the crosses GC-3 x HC-08-02 was best specific combination for seed yield per plant as well as number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant, 100 seed weight, harvest index and protein content. It is evident from present investigation that the hybrid combinations GC-3 x HC-08-02, GC-06-01 x JOB-129, HC-08-02 x PGCP-1 and GC-3 x CP-105 exhibited the high per se performance and sca effect for seed yield per plant and highly promising even in respect of other characters could be advanced by selecting desirable segregants and recombinants in each generation for funneling the new genotype or for using further advanced breeding programme.

Keywords

• cowpea
• half diallel
• gca
• s ca
• yield component.