Genetic variability in traditional cowpea genotypes from Acre

Abstract

Cowpea is a food of great socioeconomic importance, especially for the Northeast and North regions of Brazil. Therefore, the present work aimed to estimate the variability of traditional cowpea genotypes collected in Acre. The experiment was conducted in the experimental area of the Federal University of Acre, in Rio Branco - AC, in 2016. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with three replications and seven treatments: Baiano, Ceará Mercado, Ceará Caeté, Costela de Vaca, Manteiguinha, Butter and Mudubim de Rama. Planting was carried out in single rows with 60 seeds per row and fertilized with six liters of humus. After carrying out the measurements, the data were subjected to analysis of variance using the F test at significance levels of 5% and 1% probability and the means were compared using the Tukey test. The characterization was carried out using 32 variables. The results indicate that the genotypes showed wide genetic variability for 29 of the characteristics. It was found that there are morphological and agronomic differences between the varieties, with Ceará Mercado being the one with the best results for most variables. Furthermore, the variability for quantitative characters highlights the possibility of selection.