Morphological Characterization of Some Cowpea Accessions from Africa

Background and Objective: Cowpea is a pantropical and highly variable crop plant with diverse varieties. The importance of morphological characters in resolving complex differences that coexist among this genus cannot be overemphasized. This study aimed at assessing the qualitative and quantitative characters of ten cowpea accessions collected from ten African countries. Materials and Methods: Cowpea seeds were planted in planting pots with 5 replicates and arranged in an incomplete randomized block design. A total of 37 morphological quantitative and qualitative characters were studied for 12 weeks. Results: There was high variability in the quantitative characters assessed and only TVu-13840 had 100% germination. The TVu-10847 recorded the highest average plant height, mean rachis and petiole length while Tvu-1236 had the highest leaf surface area with no flower pigmentation. Growth and leaf shape varied greatly and the twining tendency was more pronounced in Tvu-10847 and Tvu-11825. All the accessions developed a straight pod shape with the exception of Tvu-14316 which was slightly curved. High variability was observed in raceme position, flower color, seed shape and other distinctive qualitative features. Cluster analysis resolved the characters studied and grouped the accessions into four clusters. Conclusion: The morphological characters of the studied cowpea accessions is an important step in the management of cowpea genetic diversity and also a prerequisite towards selecting desirable traits or improved varieties for breeding purposes.