Selection of cowpea agronomic characters using path coeficient analysis

Abstract

In an experiment with sixa replicates, conducted in Lavoura Seca Farm (Quixadá, CE, Brazil), the influence of nine phenologic characteristics on the final yield of cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Waip), cultivar Pitiúba, was studied, using, for each replicate, five plants randomly chosen. The technique of path coefficient was applied to investigate both direct and indirect effects of the different characters studied on the yield. The results showed that in this cultivar a high, direct and positive correlation exists between the number of pods present in each plant and the seed production.