~ 2786 ~ International Journal of Chemical Studies 2018; 6(6): 2786-2789 P-ISSN: 2349–8528 E-ISSN: 2321–4902 IJCS 2018; 6(6): 2786-2789 © 2018 IJCS Received: 12-09-2018 Accepted: 16-10-2018 Anjali Singh Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CSAUA&T, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India Shweta Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CSAUA&T, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India Shivendra Pratap Singh Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, SVPUA&T, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India Ankaj Tiwari Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, T.D.P.G. Collage, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India Correspondence Anjali Singh Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CSAUA&T, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India Characterization and evaluation of genetic divergence in Indian cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata L . Walp.) Anjali Singh, Shweta, Shivendra Pratap Singh and Ankaj Tiwari Abstract Genetic divergence studied in cowpea during Kharif 2016-17 at student farm of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture& Technology, Kanpur (U.P.). The thirty two cowpea varieties were evaluated for eleven quantitative characters viz. days to flower initiation, days to maturity, plant height(cm),pod length(cm), number of pods per plant, number of branches per plant, leaf length (cm ), leaf width (cm), leaf : stem ratio, st over of yield per plant (gm.) and seed yield per plant (gm.). Genetic divergence was determine using D 2 and all the thirty two genotype s were grouped into six cluster. Maximum inter cluster distance were observed between I and VI followed by cluster VI and IV and cluster VI and V. Cluster I hold first rank in days to initiation flowering, pod length, number of pods per plant, and Cluster II hold first rank in days to maturity, number of branches per plant and seed yield per plant and Cluster IV hold first rank in leaf width, leaf: stem ratio, st over yield per plant. It is suggested that the crosses between I, II and IV may be effective component characters in hybridization. Keywords: Genetic divergence, genotype, cluster distance, hybridization Introduction Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] Is a diploid species with (2n=2x=22) chromosome. It is an autogamous crop, with natural cross pollination of up to one percent. cowpea belongs to the class of Dicotyledonea, order Fabales, family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, tribe Phaseoleae, sub tribe Phaseolinae, and genus Vigna (Pasquet et al. 2001) [12] . The Primary gene pool is composed of the domesticated cowpea (V. unguiculata sub sp. Unguiculata var. unguiculata) and its wild progenitor (V. unguiculata sub sp. Unguiculata var. spontanea). The secondary gene pool of cowpea includes nine perennial sub species. All cultivated cowpeas are grouped under the species Vigna unguiculata, which is sub divided into four cultivar group such as unguiculata (common cowpea used as food and fooder), sesquipedalis (the yard long or aspergus been used as vegetables), biflora (catjang) and textilis (used for fibers). Cowpea exhibits different morphological forms; some are prostrate, erect or climbing. The leaves are trifoliate; inflorescences are axillary with few crowded flowers near the tip in alternate pairs. The anthers bear sticky and heavy pollen grains (Purseglove, 1984) [13] . Cowpea is produced for household purposes and as a cash crop. It is a multipurpose crop, since it is cultivated for leaf and seed yield. It is a multifunctional crop, providing food for man and livestock and serving as a valuable and dependable revenue-generating commodity for farmers and grain traders (Singh, 2002; Langyintuo et al., 2003) [15, 6] . Cowpea contributes 30-125 Kg N/ha in the soil due to its nitrogen fixing properties and also serves as a residue, which benefits the succeeding crops. It is also a shade tolerant crop and, therefore, compatible as an intercrop with a number of cereals and root crops, as well as with cotton, sugarcane and several plantation crops. In fresh form, the young leaves and immature pods are used as vegetables, while the grain is used in the preparation of several dishes. According to Bressani (1985) [5] , the mature legume contains 23-25% protein and 50-67% carbohydrate, 1.9% fats, 6.35% fiber and small percentage of the B-vitamins such as folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin as well as some micronutrients such as iron and zinc. In India cowpea is a very important crop and cultivated for food, vegetables and fodder purpose. Crop due to its tremendous adoptability for various conditions cultivated from north Jammu& Kashmir to south Tamil Nadu. Cowpea is a very popular vegetable crops and being cultivated in all over country except hilly regions.