Morphoagronomic variability of traditional cowpea varieties in Western Amazon

Abstract

Despite the vast collection of cowpea genetic resources available, there is still little information about the local varieties and their ecophysiological and morphophysiological differences. The present study aimed to describe and classify landrace cowpea varieties with agronomic potential for the Rondônia state, Brazil. The experiment was conducted under field conditions, using a randomized block arrangement, with twenty-four traditional cowpea accessions and two replicates. The high diversity of grain color found in the cowpea accessions (83.31 % colored, 12.50 % white and 4.16 % black), combined with the wide morphological variability in other descriptors, confirms that the northern region is an important center for on-farm conservation of the species. The cowpea accessions with indeterminate (IFTO-PA 03, IFTO-PA 14 and IFTO-PA 15) and determinate (IFTO-PA 08, IFTO-PA 12, IFTO-PA 13, IFTO-PA 16 and IFTO-PA 17) growth habit, with average flowering time of 45.12 days, showed equivalent and favorable agronomic performances under the local edaphoclimatic conditions, and are indicated for incorporation into family-based production systems and mechanized agriculture.

KEYWORDS: Vigna unguiculata, landrace cowpea varieties, morphological descriptors.