ABSTRACT
A Field experiment was carried out to evaluate seventeen cowpea genotypes for yield components of seventeen cowpea genotypes that comprised of thirteen advanced breeding lines; IT99K-1060, IT97K-499-35, IT07K-299-6, IT99K-216-24-2, IT04K-333-2, IT98K-491-4, IT855K-643-1, IT89K-288, IT04-334-2, IT95K-2011-11, IT97K-573-1-1, IT0K-973-6, IT99K-1122 and four local accessions; Dan Cameroon, Dan Bauchi, Dan Wuri, Achishiru. The trial was conducted at teaching and research farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi state during raining season in 2016.the treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), replicated three times. Data were collected on growth and reproductive parameter and means were separated using Duncan multiple range tests (DMRT). Result on this trial showed that cowpea genotypes differed significantly (P≤0.05) on day to 50% flowering, number of flowers, number of pod per seed, 100 seed weight per plant, grain yield per pant and estimated seed yield weight per hectare. The magnitudes of the genotypic variances of these traits were higher than the environmental variance and high broad sense heritability indicate the presence of additive gene effects. Significantly positive correlation was observed between grain yield and day to 50% flowering, no of flower per plant and seed weight per hectare. It can be recommended that cowpea genotype IT97K-573-1-1 and IT99K-1122 produced significantly (P≤0.05) higher yield compared to other cowpea genotypes and the principal criteria for selection of good parental lines are days to 50% flowering, number of flowers per plant, number of pod per plant, number of seed per plant and 100 seed weight and hence farmer in Bauchi agro-ecological zone should be encouraged to adopt them.
