CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND EVALUATION OF COWPEA GERMPLASM FOR GREEN FODDER AND GRAIN YIELD UNDER RAINFED CONDIANDNS OF ISLAMABAD

An experiment involving 14 local lines of cowpea germplasm including one promising line (P-518 as check) was conducted at Fodder Research Program, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad during the summer of 2006. The main objective of this study was to assess the level of genetic variability exhibited by a germplasm collection of cowpea on morphological basis and to identify the lines suitable for fodder and grain yield. Data were collected on eight agro-morphological characters (tendril length, number of branches plant^-1, number of leaves main branch^-1, leaf area, pod length, number of seeds pod^-1, green fodder and grain yields. Number of branches plant^-1 showed a significant correlation (r =0.585) with leaf area but non-significant association with number of leaves per main branch and green fodder yield. Leaf area showed a negative and significant correlation (r =0.583) with pod length which is indicative of the fact that a plant having more vegetative growth (i.e., leaf area) produces small pods. It also showed a negative and non-significant association with number of seeds per pod and grain yield. In total two clusters were obtained in dendogram based on Ward’s method. Out of the 14 lines studied three lines -CP/V4, CP/V2 and CP/V6 were found to be suitable for obtaining higher green fodder yield, whereas the lines CP/V10, CP/V5, No.1, SA-Dandy, CP/V2, CP/V6, CP/V3, CP/V7, CP/V8, CP/V11, CP/V9 and CP/V12 were found to be suitable for maximum grain yield. The data also suggested that two line CP/V2 and CP/V6 could be used both for fodder and grain yield, on the other hand line CP/V4 proved to be suitable exclusively for green fodder yield under rainfed conditions of Islamabad.