Generation mean analysis for earliness and yield traits in yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis (L.) verdcourt)

Abstract

Yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdcourt; 2n=24), a distinct form of cowpea, is one of the most important leguminous vegetable crops originated from Central Africa and widely distributed in India, Indonesia, Philippines and Srilanka. It is an annual food legume belonging to the family Fabaceae and the genus Vigna, which comprises of about 80 species. It is called as ‘vegetable meat’, being a rich and inexpensive source of vegetable protein (3.5 g), calcium (72 mg), iron (2.5 mg), riboflavin (0.09 mg), phosphorus (59 mg) and vitamin A (564 mg 100 g-1 of edible pod). Prerequisite for the effective choice of breeding methodology for developing elite varieties is the understanding of the mode of inheritance of the yield components.