Heterosis in cowpealandraces from Ghana

Four crosses involving five local accessions of cowpea were evaluated to determine the amount of heterosis for maturity date, seed yield, and components of yield. Heterosis for seed yield plant-1 was greater than that for other characters with a high-parent heterosis of 2.4 to 72.1 per cent. Number of pods plant-1 was the most heterotic of the yield components. The cross between high-yielding parents produced the highest heterosis above the mid-parent and high parent for seed yield plant-1. Seed yield may be improved by crossing among local landraces of cowpea through improving the number of pods plant-1. Ghana Jnl.agric. Sci Vol.32(1), 1999: 27-30