Combining Ability and Hybrid Performance of Cowpea Landraces Under Semiarid Conditions.
- 1Department of Plant Science and Environmental Sciences, Center for Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba, Campus II, Areia 58397-000, PB, Brazil.
- 2National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform, João Pessoa 58031-000, PB, Brazil.
- 3Department of Biosciences, Center for Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba, Campus II, Areia 58397-000, PB, Brazil.
Abstract
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) plays a key role in food security and income generation in semiarid regions, particularly for smallholder farming systems in the Brazilian semiarid. However, productivity remains low because of environmental limitations, genetic constraints, and traditional crop management practices. We evaluated diallel crosses among cowpea landraces to identify superior parents and cross combinations in terms of earliness and grain yield under semiarid conditions. Six landrace accessions, previously selected through participatory prospecting for adaptability and yield stability, were crossed in a complete diallel design to produce 15 F₁ hybrids and their reciprocal crosses. The hybrids were evaluated under field conditions in the semiarid region during the 2023 growing season using a randomized complete block design with ten replications. The evaluations were conducted according to each genotype's developmental stage and immature pod formation. Early-maturing varieties were harvested at 60 days, intermediate and late varieties between 65 and 75 days. At physiological maturity, early and intermediate genotypes were harvested at 80 days, while late genotypes were harvested between 85 and 90 days. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were estimated using Griffing's Method I (fixed-effects model), and treatment means were compared using the Scott-Knott test at the 5% significance level. Significant GCA and SCA effects (p < 0.05) were detected for 12 of the 14 evaluated traits, whereas reciprocal effects were significant for seven traits. The hybrid combinations L1 × L4, L1 × L5, and L4 × L5, and their reciprocal crosses, exhibited superior agronomic performance, highlighting their potential as valuable genetic resources for cowpea breeding under semiarid environments.
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BibTeX
@article{silva2026combining,
title = {{Combining Ability and Hybrid Performance of Cowpea Landraces Under Semiarid Conditions.}},
author = {Maria Joelma da Silva and Samandra Silva de Lima and Mateus de Souza Silva and Vitor Emanuel Conrado da Silva and Taís Borges da Silva and Rubens Rangel Rolim and João Henrique Constantino Sales Silva and Helder Farias Pereira de Araújo and Edna Ursulino Alves and Lenyneves Duarte Alvino de Araújo and Naysa Flávia Ferreira do Nascimento},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/plants15203145},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943098},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Combining Ability and Hybrid Performance of Cowpea Landraces Under Semiarid Conditions.
AU - Maria Joelma da Silva
AU - Samandra Silva de Lima
AU - Mateus de Souza Silva
AU - Vitor Emanuel Conrado da Silva
AU - Taís Borges da Silva
AU - Rubens Rangel Rolim
AU - João Henrique Constantino Sales Silva
AU - Helder Farias Pereira de Araújo
AU - Edna Ursulino Alves
AU - Lenyneves Duarte Alvino de Araújo
AU - Naysa Flávia Ferreira do Nascimento
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/plants15203145
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943098
AB - Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) plays a key role in food security and income generation in semiarid regions, particularly for smallholder farming systems in the Brazilian semiarid. However, productivity remains low because of environmental limitations, genetic constraints, and traditional crop management practices. We evaluated diallel crosses among cowpea landraces to identify superior parents and cross combinations in terms of earliness and grain yield under semiarid conditions. Six landrace accessions, previously selected through participatory prospecting for adaptability and yield stability, were crossed in a complete diallel design to produce 15 F₁ hybrids and their reciprocal crosses. The hybrids were evaluated under field conditions in the semiarid region during the 2023 growing season using a randomized complete block design with ten replications. The evaluations were conducted according to each genotype's developmental stage and immature pod formation. Early-maturing varieties were harvested at 60 days, intermediate and late varieties between 65 and 75 days. At physiological maturity, early and intermediate genotypes were harvested at 80 days, while late genotypes were harvested between 85 and 90 days. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were estimated using Griffing's Method I (fixed-effects model), and treatment means were compared using the Scott-Knott test at the 5% significance level. Significant GCA and SCA effects (p < 0.05) were detected for 12 of the 14 evaluated traits, whereas reciprocal effects were significant for seven traits. The hybrid combinations L1 × L4, L1 × L5, and L4 × L5, and their reciprocal crosses, exhibited superior agronomic performance, highlighting their potential as valuable genetic resources for cowpea breeding under semiarid environments.
SN - 2223-7747
ER -