Segregation Pattern of Decumbent, Climbing and Bushy Growth Habits in Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

Abstract F1 and F2 data from crosses of cowpea accessions with three different growth forms showed that the inheritance of growth habit is governed by two allelic pairs, AA and BB. The genetic ratio obtained implicated a modifier gene interaction in which the genotype A‐B‐ has the decumbent growth habit; the genotype aaB‐ has the climbing and aabb has the bushy habit. While the decumbent growth habit was dominant and epistatic over the climbing habit, the decumbent and the climbing growth forms were each monogenically dominant over the bushy habit.