CHARACTER ASSOCIATION AND PATH ANALYSIS IN VEGETABLE COWPEA

The genotypic and phenotypic correlations of green pod yield with different components were estimated from 20 genotypes of vegetable cowpea pooled over two seasons. The genotypic and phenotypic correlations agreed closely with each other. Pod length, green pod weight, dry pod weight, seeds per pod and 100 seed weight exhibited significantly positive correlations with green pod yield. Their genotypic correlations with green pod yield were also high and positive. Days to flowering, on the otherhand, registered high and negative association with green pod yield both at phenotypic and genotypic levles. A few significantly positive interrelationship were found between the different components. Pod number, on the contrary, exhibited significantly negative interrelationships with green pod weight and pod length. The path coefficient analysis of green pod yield showed that green pod weight, dry pod weight, pod number and seeds per pod were the most important components because of highly positive direct effects. Days to flowering registered highly negative direct effect indicating early flowering would lead to high yield. Therefore, green pod weight, dry pod weight, pod number, seeds per pod and days to flowering were the important components for improving pod yield in vegetable cowpea.