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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Genotype by environment interactions in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) grown in the Iberian Peninsula

Marina Martos-Fuentes A , Juan A. Fernández A , Jesús Ochoa A , Márcia Carvalho B , Valdemar Carnide B C , Eduardo Rosa B , Graça Pereira D , Carina Barcelos D , Penelope J. Bebeli E and Catalina Egea-Gilabert F G
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Departamento de Producción Vegetal, ETSIA, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain.

B Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.

C Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.

D National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research (INIAV), Estrada de Gil Vaz, Apartado 6, 7351-901 Elvas, Portugal.

E Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.

F Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Agraria, ETSIA, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII 48, 30203 Cartagena, Spain.

G Corresponding author. Email: catalina.egea@upct.es

Crop and Pasture Science 68(11) 924-931 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP17071
Submitted: 16 February 2017  Accepted: 22 June 2017   Published: 11 August 2017

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the variance components and genetic and environmental stability of 12 cowpea genotypes at three locations (South-east of Spain: Cartagena, South and North of Portugal: Elvas and Vila Real, respectively) in the Iberian Peninsula in two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). The genotype, the environment and the genotype × environment interaction significantly influenced all the morphological and agronomical parameters evaluated. For both years, the highest yields were observed at Elvas, whereas Cartagena and Vila real were the most suitable places to obtain crop precocity. Cartagena was the place where the filling of the seed was the fastest, probably due to the higher temperatures and radiation. The thermal time model (effective degree-days) could be used to predict the period of cowpea development, therefore predict flowering and pod maturity date. Correlation analysis showed that days to flowering, days to maturity and the seed yield vs protein content exhibited negative correlations. The highest heritability was found for plant height and pod length at Cartagena and for 100-seed weight at Elvas and Vila Real. In conclusion, the variations that exist in the studied accessions could give rise to a breeding program to develop cowpea cultivars with interesting agronomic traits.

Additional keywords: degree-days, heritability, legumes, protein content, yield.


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