Study of correlation coefficient and path analysis in cowpea [vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp] germplasm line

The present experiment was conducted using 60 genotypes of cowpea to study their correlation and path analysis during kharif-2015. It can be concluded from these experiment findings that main yield contributing traits are biological yield per plant, number of pods per plant, number of flowers per plant, test weight, number of pods per cluster, pod length, number of seeds per pod, number of clusters per plant, harvest index and plant height due to their direct high positive association with seed yield. The trait days to maturity had negative and non-significant correlation with seed yield per plant thereby indicating selection for early maturity would give drought tolerant and drought avoiding genotypes affecting the seed yield positively in cowpea. Path analysis revealed that, seed yield per plant can be improved practicing selection for biological yield per plant, harvest index, number of pods per plant, days to 50% flowering, number of flowers per cluster, number of primary branches per plant, number of seeds per pod, test weight and plant height as they contributed directly to the seed yield per plant as revealed from path analysis. It indicated the possibilities of simultaneous improvement of these traits by selection. This in turn, will improve the seed yield, since they are positively correlated with the seed yield.