INHERITANCE OF POD WEIGHT IN COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA (L.) WALP.)

Abstract

The inheritance of pod weight in cowpea was studied using three intraspecific cultigroups in fields planting of the parents, Fts, F2S and backcrosses to both parents of three crosses: Assam Local 1 X Birsa Sweta (bifloTa X sesquipedalis), Assam Local 1 X Yard Long Bean (bifloTa X sesquipedalis) and Pusa dofasli XCheck Barbati (unguiculata X sesquipedalis). Pod weight was inherited quantitatively. BifloTa X sesquipedalis crosses showed that light pod partially dominant overheavy pod, while in the unguiculata X sesquipedalis cross mean pod weight in Ft and F2 was almost equal to the midparental value. Gene action was predominantly additive, although dominance, additive X additive, additive X dominance and dominance X dominance gene actions were significant in the bifloTa X sesquipedalis crosses.