A high yielding short duration cowpea (Vigna unguiculata.L) variety ‘Hridya’

Breeding experiments was conducted at Onattukara Regional Agricultural Research Station, Kayamkulam, Kerala Agricultural University to evolve a high yielding cowpea variety with synchronized maturity during 2000–09. Local cultivars and released varieties like V-2, CO-3, COVU-358, COVU-8456, V-118 and COVU-623 were used as parents in the programme. A short duration cowpea variety with synchronized maturity was identified and released as ‘Hridya’ at the state level variety release committee during 2010. This variety was developed by mass selection of the lacal Kuttipayar. The important charecteristics of the variety are the height is 45 cm, pod colour is green, seed colour is straw, and the 100 seed weight is 4.67g. The productivity of the variety is 9.5 q ha−1and the duration is 55 days.