Heterosis Studies for Seed Yield and Contributing Characters in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).

The present investigation on diallel analysis was conducted in cowpea to study the magnitude of heterosis and combining ability in cowpea for fourteen plant characters including seed yield and its component characters. Among the Parents, Pusa Komal, GC-4 and GC-502-2 were recorded as the best performing parents for seed yield per plant and some of its related attributes. High heterotic effects were observed for days to flowering, plant height, no. of branches per plant, no. of seeds per pod, pod length, protein content and seed yield per plant whereas less number of crosses were observed for no. of pods per plant, days to maturity, clusters per plant, 100 seed weight and straw yield with favorable heterobeltiosis. Heterotic response for seed yield per plant was mainly due to high heterotic response observed for no. of branches per plant, no. of clusters per plant, pod length and no. of seeds per pod.