An Interpretation of Nature and Extent of Relationship Between Yield and its Related Traits of Fodder Cowpea in F3 Generation

Cowpea is grown for both grain and fodder exhibiting wide range of variability. The correlation between yield and other component traits should therefore be given importance in the selection of genotypes for more yield in cowpea. Among 13 characters studied, six of them viz., number of branches, number of leaves, leaf weight, stem weight, green fodder yield and crude protein content had positive and significant phenotypic and genotypic correlation with dry matter yield. The phenotypic and genotypic intercorrelations among the characters with dry matter yield revealed that the seven character namely plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf breadth, stem weight, and green fodder yield exhibited positive significant intercorrelation. Negative significant values were observed between leaf stem ratio and number of leaves, days to 50 per cent flowering and green fodder yield. The maximum positive direct effect contributing to dry matter yield was exhibited by green fodder yield followed by days to 50 per cent flowering, crude protein content, stem thickness, number of branches and number of leaves. This revealed the true relationshipbetween dry matter yield and the above component characters. Direct selection for these characters would improve the dry matter yield. Negative direct effects shown by leaf length, leaf breadth and leaf weight suggest that they have less direct influence on the magnitude or direction of correlation coefficients and is mainly due to indirect effects of the characters through other components traits. Improvement of yield could be possible by indirect selection through such traits.