Canonical correlation among morphological traits and yield components of cowpea

Abstract

The study of canonical correlation makes it possible to identify and quantify the associations of morphological and productive characters with the performance of cultures. Due to the scarcity of studies on the topic of cowpea, the selection of characters of interest for grain yield is promising. The objective of this study was to verify the associations between morphological traits and yield components in cowpea. The experiment was carried out in 2016 at experimental area of the Embrapa Agropecuária Oeste, municipality of Dourados, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with 14 treatments and four replications. Canonical groups were established between production components (group 1) and morphological characteristics (group 2). Canonical correlation analysis was estimated between the group consisting of primary agronomic traits (grain yield, number of pods and pod length) and the group consisting of secondary agronomic traits (beginning of flowering, plant size, value for cultivation and lodging). The data were submitted to analysis of variance at 5% probability and canonical variables. Moreover, it was determined the matrix of phenotypic correlation coefficients and the multicollinearity diagnosis. The number of pods per plant, pod length and plant size showed high and positive magnitude, allowing to conclude that, in cowpea breeding program, plants with the highest number of pods per plant, earliness and optimal plant architecture for mechanized harvesting should be selected to increased grain yield.