Study of Genetic Variability of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L) Germplasm for Fodder Yield and It’s Attributing Traits

The study investigated the phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation (PCV and GCV) and heritability estimates for various agronomic and nutritional traits in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). The analysis aimed to identify traits with optimum variability and heritability, as well as to explore the potential presence of additive genetic variance in specific characteristics. The results revealed that the number of secondary branches, plant height, and leaf length exhibited high estimates of both PCV and GCV, indicating the presence of ample variability for these particular attributes within the population. Additionally, the heritability and genetic advance for the number of secondary branches, plant height, dry fodder yield, leaf length, number of primary branches, leaf width, fresh leaf weight (g), green fodder yield, and fresh stem weight (g) were found to be significant, indicating that these traits were predominantly governed by additive gene action. The findings of this study hold significant implications for future breeding programs and genetic improvement strategies. The identified high heritability and genetic advance for the aforementioned traits suggest that these characteristics can be effectively manipulated through selective breeding to develop improved and high-yielding plant varieties.