Publication Date:
2020-09-18
Description:
Background Productivity of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] in sub-Sahara Africa is curtailed by a lack of farmer-preferred and improved cultivars and modern production technologies. The objectives of the study were to determine the extent of genetic diversity present among a collection of cowpea accessions from Zambia and Malawi using phenotypic traits and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and, to select distinct and complementary parental lines for cultivar development. One hundred cowpea genotypes were evaluated for agronomic traits in two selected sites in Zambia, using a 10 × 10 alpha lattice design with two replications. Ninety-four of the test genotypes were profiled with 14,116 SNP markers. Results Number of pods plant− 1 (NPP), pod length (PDL), and number of seeds pod− 1 (NSP), were significantly (p 1200 kg/ha with excellent performance in yield components such as NSP, PDL, HSW and GYD. Grain yield had significant (p
Electronic ISSN:
1471-2156
Topics:
Biology
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