Assessing Yield Potential of Cowpea Genotypes Grown Under Virus Pressure

Abstract

Cowpea or Southernpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is an important grain legume in many parts of the tropics. However, viral diseases, particularly Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Blackeye cowpea mosaic virus (BlCMV), can be a limiting factor in cowpea production. We evaluated in replicated field plots and under virus pressure nine PIs (441919, 441925, 441917, 147071, 146618, 180014, 180355, 194208, 612607) and three commercial cultivars (Coronet, KnuckleHull-VNR, Pinkeye Purplehull), some of which had shown absence of symptoms for CMV and BlCMV in unreplicated, seed regeneration plots of the U.S. cowpea collection. Only 3% of all plots had plants infected with both CMV and BlCMV in 2003 and 2004. This percentage increased to 47% in 2005. The accession PI 441917 had the highest 3-year mean for grain yield. However, PI 147071, PI 180014, and ‘KnuckleHull-VNR’ had higher seed protein concentration than other genotypes, but their grain yield was significantly lower than that of PI 441917. The cultivar Coronet and PI 180355 attained midbloom and maturity earlier than the other genotypes. Overall, PI 441917 outperformed all other genotypes for grain yield, including virus-resistant PI 612607 and the cultivar KnuckleHull-VNR. This accession is in the process of being released as a virus-tolerant genotype and should be useful in cowpea breeding programs to help control yield losses by CMV and BlCMV.