Evaluation of Exotic and Indigenous Germplasm Lines of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] for Identification of Superior Genotype

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the genetic diversity among 48 cowpea genotypes through multivariate analysis. The cluster analysis indicated that the genotypes were categorized into six distinct clusters. Cluster III emerged as the largest, comprising 11 genotypes, followed by Cluster IV with ten genotypes, and Clusters II and V, each containing nine genotypes. Notably, Cluster III exhibited the highest intra-cluster distance. Crossbreeding among the genotypes in Clusters IV and V, as well as between Clusters II and IV, and II and III, is likely to yield novel recombinants due to the significant inter-cluster distances observed. Cluster I demonstrated superior performance in agronomic traits, followed by Clusters II and V. Principal component analysis highlighted several traits that are crucial for differentiating the variations present in the germplasm collection. Specifically, the number of pods per plant, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, and 100-seed weight were identified as key factors in the classification of variation. Consequently, these findings will be instrumental in selecting parent genotypes for the enhancement of various morphological traits examined in this research.