Studies on hybrid vigour for yield and contributing traits in cowpea (vigna unguiculata l. walp)

The present investigation was undertaken to study the hybrid vigour of parents and crosses respectively. The experimental material comprised of six lines viz., 2012/COPBVAR-2, 2012/COPBVAR-3, 2012/ COPBVAR-5, 2014/COPBVAR-4, 2014/COPBVAR-5 and 2014/COPBVAR-6 and four testers of cowpea viz. Gomti, Pusa Komal, Kashi Kanchan and Arka Garima. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences between parents and hybrids as well indicating presence of sufficient amount of variability in all the characters studied. Eight hybrids recorded significant negative heterosis for days to 50% flowering. Five hybrids recorded significant positive heterobeltiosis and produced more number of flowers per cluster. Among them, 2012/COPBVAR-3 x Kashi Kanchan recorded the highest positive significant heterobeltiosis for flowers per cluster. Heterosis for length of pod, in general relatively low in all hybrids, but only four hybrids recorded positively significant for length of pod. Among the twenty four hybrids, 9 and 2 hybrids recorded significant positive better parent heterosis for pods per plant and number of seeds per pod respectively. Among the hybrids, 2012/COPBVAR-2 x Arka Garima and 2012/COPBVAR-3 x Arka Garima recorded the highest positive significant heterosis for number of pods per plant and seeds per pod respectively. Only nine and two hybrids exhibited significant positive relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis for pod yield per plant respectively. The highest heterobeltiosis for green pod yield per plant was recorded by 2012/COPBVAR-2 x Arka Garima followed by 2012/COPBVAR-2 x Kashi Kanchan.