Abstract
The success of most crop improvement programs largely depends upon the genetic variability and the heritability of desirable traits. The magnitude and type of genetic variability help the breeder to determine the selection criteria and breeding schemes to be used for improvement purposes. Two different but related experiments, one in 2011 rainy season (August to November) and the second in 2012 dry season (February to May) were carried out at ICRISAT-Kano, Nigeria screen house to estimate the genetic variability and heritability of some traits in selected cowpea lines. Results of the study showed that there were considerable variations among the lines for duration of vegetative and reproductive phase and for yield characters (seed/pod, number of pod/plant, weight of pod/plant, and 100 seed weight). Broad sense heritability estimate (h2) was 83% for 100 seed weight, 53% for Number of seed per pod, 48% for days to first flower and 46% for number of root nodules. This information showed that there is sufficient genetic variability to justify selection for improvement in the cowpea. This result will be of immense practical uses for plant breeders to choose parent of interest to meet different breeding objectives.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea lines varied considerably in vegetative and reproductive phase duration and yield characters.
- Taxon
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatat0 - Material
- linese0
- Outcome
- duration of vegetative and reproductive phase and for yield characterse0
- Direction
- considerable variationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there were considerable variations among the lines for duration of vegetative and reproductive phase and for yield characters (seed/pod, number of pod/plant, weight of pod/plant, and 100 seed weight)”
t0“cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Broad sense heritability for 100 seed weight was 83%.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Organ / stage
- seede0
- Outcome
- Broad sense heritability estimate (h2)e0
- Value
- 83%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Broad sense heritability estimate (h2) was 83% for 100 seed weight”
t0“cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Broad sense heritability for number of seeds per pod was 53%.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Outcome
- Number of seed per pode0
- Value
- 53%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“53% for Number of seed per pod”
t0“cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Broad sense heritability for days to first flower was 48%.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Outcome
- days to first flowere0
- Value
- 48%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“48% for days to first flower”
t0“cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
Broad sense heritability for number of root nodules was 46%.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatat0
- Outcome
- number of root nodulese0
- Value
- 46%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“46% for number of root nodules”
t0“cowpea”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that cowpea variability is sufficient to justify selection for improvement.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae0
- Outcome
- selection for improvemente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there is sufficient genetic variability to justify selection for improvement in the cowpea”