Gynotypic performance of ten cowpea varieties for optimum productivity

In Nigeria, cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) are grown mainly for home use and are processed into many products including boiled, baked or roasted beans among others for national food security. Growing cowpea could be very cumbersome for farmers as most seedlings are lost to poor viability and other environmental factors like pest, diseases and climate. This study was therefore carried out at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria screenhouse 2009 - 2010, by comparing genotypic differences of ten cowpea varieties for optimum productivity. The experimental layout involved ten varieties of Cowpea (ITOOK – 126-3, IT98K – 506 – 4, IT98K – 503 – 1, IT97K-818 – 35, ITOOK – 898 – 5, IT 99K-429-2, ITOOK – 901 – 5, IT98K – 124 – 124 – 4, IT 97K – 568 – 18 and IT97K – 461 – 4) each replicated four times in a completely randomized design. Result shows that there were significant (p=0.05) differences in the number of pods produced by the ten cowpea varieties. ITOOk – 898 – 5 produced the highest number of pods (6.00) followed by ITOOK – 9015 (5.76), I T97k-568-18 (5.00), I T98K – 503 – 1 (4.50), I TOOK – 126 – 3 (4.25), IT 99K – 429 – 2 (3.75), IT98K – 506 – 4 (3.75) and IT97K – 818 – 35 (3.50). Clear genotypic differences in seed weight, pod length and pod weight were observed. IT98K-503-1 had the highest seed weight (2.88g/pot) though not significant, followed by ITOOK – 898-5 (2.83g/pot), IT98K-506-4 (2.78g/pot), ITOOK – 126 – 3(2.60g/pot), ITOOK -901-5 (2.40g/ pot), IT 97K-568-18 (1.45g/pot), IT99-429-2 (1.30g/pot), IT97K – 8181-35 (1.25g/pot) and IT98K-124-4 (1.15g/pot). IT97K – 461-4 had the least seed weight (1.03g/pot). ITOOK – 126 – 3 had the longest pod length (12.93cm) followed by IT 98K – 506 – 4 (12.35cm) while IT 97K – 568 – 18 (9.75cm), IT 99-429-2 (9.60cm), IT 96K – 461 – 4 (9.53cm) and IT 97K – 818 – 35 (9.30cm) and ITOOK – 901 – 5 had the shortest (7.03cm). ITOOK – 126-3 cowpea variety had the highest pod weight (0.70g/plant) though not significant, followed by IT98K – 506 – 4 (0.60g), IT98K – 503 – 1 (0.60g), IT97K-818 – 35 (0.48g), ITOOK – 898 – 5 (0.45g), IT 99K-429-2 (0.35g), ITOOK – 901 – 5 (0.35g), IT98K – 124 – 124 – 4 (0.35g), IT 97K – 568 – 18 (0.30g) while IT97K – 461 – 4 had the lowest (0.18g).