Heritability and genetic advance as indices for yield and yield components selection in Cowpea (Vignaunguiculata L. Walp)

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken using six generations viz., P1, P2, F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 derived from two crosses namely GDVC-2 x LC-1 and GC-6 x LC-1. The material was evaluated in a Randomized Block Design with two replications. The characters studied were days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, pod length (cm), 100 seed weight (gm), harvest index (%), seed yield per plant (gm). Moderate to high narrow sense heritability and broad sense heritability coupled with high genetic advance were observed in both the crosses for seed yield per plant, harvest index, number of pods per plant and plant height indicating that, heritability was due to additive gene effects and selection in early generation may be effective.