Variability in some quantitative characters of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) landraces in Ghana

English

Forty-five cowpea accessions randomly selected from cowpea germplasm from four major cowpea-producing regions of Ghana, namely Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Eastern regions, were evaluated to study variability in some quantitative characters. Variability within regions was not significant, but there were significant differences among the regions for all the characters studied. The accessions from Northern Region were the first to flower and mature, while those from Upper East Region were the last to flower and mature. The number of pods per plant and seed yield per plant had rather large and similar ranges. A large proportion of the observed variability in pod and seed character was due to genetic differences, especially for 100-seed weight. However, the lowest variability among accessions, except for the 100-seed weight, was recorded for the Eastern Region. Accessions from Upper East Region had the largest variability for most of the characters. This identifies the Upper East Region as a potential source of material for cowpea improvement.

Bennet-Lartey, S. O.; Ofori, K.