Effect of genotype x environment interaction on yield performance of cowpea (vigna imguiculata-'l. walp.) in the Lake Zone of Tanzania

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Date

2013

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Publisher

Sokoine University of Agricuture

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) (2n=2x=22) is a member of the Phaseolcae tribe of the Lcguminosae family. Cowpea is an important grain legume as well as fodder crop, especially in the dry regions of Africa. The production of this crop has been below average because of low genetic variation and cultivation of poor­ yielding varieties which have not been improved. Genotype by environment interaction studies were conducted in Misungwi. Bariadi and Maswa locations on ten cowpea genotypes in a randomized complete block design under split plot experiment for grain yield and other growth characters. Significant mean values under combined analysis were observed with their mean range; germination percentage (83.61 to 99.44%). initial plant stand (34 to 40), days to 50% flowering (43 to 62 days) and final plant stand (34 to 40) in which the outstanding performance for the preceding characters was observed on IT99K-1122. Mean number of pods per plant ranged from 6 to 10 pods, whereby, VULI-1, VULI-2, TUMAINI, FAHARI, and IT99K-573-1 had better performance for this character, for the mean number of seeds per pod which ranged from 10 to 16 seeds, the outstanding performance was recorded on VULI-2, Mean weight of 100 seeds ranged from 10.68 to 20.22 g, IT99K-7-21-2-2 had the highest performance for this character. Moreover, the mean grain yield ranged from 1648 to 2379 kg/ha, TUMAINI revealed outstanding performance for this character and the LOCAL VARIETY was the lower performing genotype. Participatory variety selection was done at each location during flowering and at harvest. Farmers identified IT99K-1122 as the best genotype during flowering at Misungwi and Bariadi, while at Maswa IT99K-7-21-2- 2 was recorded as the best. PVS at harvest recorded IT99K-U22, (LOCALiii VARIETY and IT00K-1263), and LOCAL VARIETY for Misungwi, Bariadi, and Maswa respectively. The partial (farm) budget revealed the net income of Tsh 2 537 200/= per hectare of land grown cowpea as the profit made.

Description

Dissertation

Keywords

Environment interaction, Crop production, Lake Zone

Citation