Correlation and path analysis study in f₃ generation of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] genotypes

The present experiment entitled “Genetic variability and character association studies in F3 generation of cowpea. (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)” was carried out for assessing the genetic variability, correlation and path analysis in F3 population of forty five crosses of cowpea in Randomized Block Design with two replications. The character seed yield per plant had positive and highly significant correlation with number of pods per plant (0.8906), harvest index (0.8758), 100 seed weight (0.7123) and pod length (0.3114) at phenotypic level. Similarly at phenotypic level it showed negative nonsignificant correlation with days to 50% flowering (-0.0159) while, days to maturity (-0.3005) had negative significant correlation. Positive and highly significant correlation was reported between seed yield per plant and number of pods per plant (1.0080) followed by harvest index (0.8652), 100 seed weight (0.7685) at genotypic level. Genotypically negative highly significant correlation was reported with days to maturity (-0.4294) and negative nonsignificant correlation with days to 50% flowering (-0.0413). Path coefficient analysis revealed positive direct effect of number of pods per plant, days to initiation of flowering and hundred seed weight at both genotypic and phenotypic level. Whereas, characters viz., days to maturity, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster and plant height at genotypic level and characters viz., number of branches per plant and pod length at phenotypic level were having direct positive effect on seed yield per plant.