Abstract:
Cowpea is a valuable source of plant protein, vitamins and minerals that form part of
the human diet and animal feed, besides its role in improving soil fertility through
biological nitrogen fixation" However. cowpea productivity in Sri L^anka remains low
due fo the limited availability of improved varieties environmental stresses and
insufficient breedin-e research. Therefore, the present study rvas carried out to evaluate
the variation in days to flowering and yield component traits among the selected cowpea
genotypes to identify promising lines for ftiture improvement and cultivation under
local a-ero-climatic conditions. The experinlent was conducted from 08ft of July to
October 2025 at the Faculty,-rf Technology, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. Twenty tou,
genotypes ((-P 21, CP 32, (:P 39, CP 169, CP 104, CP t6, Cp SA, Cp I5S, Cp 173,
CP ]77, (:P 195, CP 246, (P 347, ANKCM 3O-1, ANKCM 2O-2, ANKCT,I 2O-3,
ANKCM 20-4, ANKCM I3-4, ANK(M t4-1, ANKCM t4-2,warni.Dawala) .obtained
from the Grain Legumes and Oil Crops Research and Development Cenffe,
Agunakolapelessa, were evaluated in a Randornized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
rvith three replications. Data were collected on days to flowering, number of pods per
plant. seeds per pod, pod length, pod width, 100-seed weight and -erain yield per plant,
biomass yieid, and harvest index. Analysis was conducted and a dendrogram will be
constructed using Minitab version l7 t* r,isualize the genetic relationships arnong the
genotypes. Six clusters were separated according to morphological data. Four cowpea
genotypes belong to the early flowering (30-36 days) high yielding (13.01- 28.33 g)
category (CP 246, ANK({MI3-4, Dhawala, Wantni) which are suitable for cultivation
during drought periods and for cultivation in dry zones. Other high yielders such as
CP39, ANKCM 3A-4, ANKCM L4-2, CP 173, CPI95, ANKCM 2O-I,CP ]58, CP247
have been indicated but they are late flowering (39- 4S days). The highest yield of
cowpea genotypes is late flowering CP I73 (28.33+0.03o). These initial data can be
used for future cowpea breeding programs in Sri Lanka.
