Journal of Biological Sciences1727-30481812-5719Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/jbs.2015.156.166Vigna (L.) Walp: Implication for Utilization for Genetic Improvement]]>J.O.Popoola B.R.Aremu F.Y.Daramola S.A.Ejoh A.E.Adegbite 42015154The genus Vigna (L.) Walp is a large cosmopolitan leguminous genus comprising both cultivated and wild species. Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Cowpea) is an important food legume that is widely cultivated in the tropics, but its production and storage are hampered by insect pests. The present study evaluated the intra-and inter-specific morphological variabilities among 20 accessions of six Vigna species, comprising wild and cultivated species. The species are Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp, V. vexillata (A. Richard), V. oblongifolia (A. Richard), V. ambacensis (Baker), V. luteola (Jacq.) (Bentham) and V. racemosa (G. Don) (Hutch and Dalziel). Thirty-one morphological characters involving qualitative and quantitative vegetative and reproductive traits were used for the evaluation. Multivariate analysis such as Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) were employed to evaluate the intra and inter specific variabilities. The paired-sample T test indicated significant differences among the 20 accessions (p≤0.000, df = 19) in their morphometric traits. The relative significant correlation observed among some traits such as pod length, number of locules per pod and number of seeds per pod indicated their closeness and potential for genetic improvement of cowpea. The PCA showed that reproductive traits such as days to 50% flowering (0.984), days to 50% ripe pod (0.993), number of pods per peduncle (0.340) and 100-seed weight (0.132) are the major traits that accounted for the variations among the species. The UPGMA using the average (between groups) segregated the 20 accessions into two main clusters, cluster I (comprising mainly wild Vigna species) and cluster II (comprising both wild and cultivated species). The taxonomic affinities and genetic diversity among the species are of great importance in the utilization of the species for food and nutrition, fodder for ruminant animals, cover crop for rotational farming and more importantly genetic improvement of cowpea.]]>Adegbite, A.E.,2006Vigna unguiculata and Vigna vexillata accessions to colchicine treatment.]]>5137145Amao, B.R.,2005Vigna (L.) Walp. species.]]>2005Andargie, M., R.S. Pasquet, G.M. Muluvi and M.P. Timko,2013Vigna unguiculata).]]>56289294Cobbinah, F.A., A.A. Addo-Quaye and I.K. Asante,2011Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) accessions with desirable traits from eight regions of Ghana.]]>62132Delgado-Salinas, A., M. Thulin, R. Pasquet, N. Weeden and M. Lavin,2011Vigna (Leguminosae) sensu lato: The names and identities of the American segregate genera.]]>9816941715Fatokun, C.A., D. Danesh, N.D. Young and E.L. Stewart,1993Vigna based on RFLP analysis.]]>8697104Garba, M. and R.S. Pasquet, 1998Vigna (Tribe Phaseoleae: Fabaceae).]]>26297308Garba, M. and R.S. Pasquet,1998Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich. gene pool.]]>1998pp: 6171IBPGR.,1983pp: 29pp: 29IPGRI.,20062006Kouam, E.B., R.S. Pasquet, P. Campagne, J.B. Tignegre and K. Thoen et al.,20122012Marechal, R.,19761976pp: 3538Marechal, R., J.M. Mascherpa and F. Stainer,1978281273Moray, C., E.T. Game and N. Maxted,2014in situ conservation of crop resources: A case study of African cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).]]>2014Olatunde, G.O., I.A. Biobaku, D.K. Ojo, O.O.R. Pitan and E.A. Adegbite,2007Vigna unguiculata) to the pod-sucking bug Clavigralla tomentosicollis (Hemiptera: Coreidae).]]>47128133Padulosi, S.,1993V. unguiculata).]]>1993Padulosi, S.,1997Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]]>1997pp: 1-12pp: 1-12Pasquet, R.,2001Savi.]]>2001pp: 121-156pp: 121-156Pule-Meulenberg, F., A.K. Belane, T. Krasova-Wade and F.D. Dakora,2010Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) in Africa.]]>2010Sprent, J.I., D.W. Odee and F.D. Dakora,20106112571265SPSS.,2011Vijaykumar, A., A. Saini and N. Jawali,2012Vigna unguiculata subspecies revealed by arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction analysis.]]>2012Popoola, J.O., A.E. Adegbite and O.O. Obembe,2011Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hochst. Ex. A. Rich. Harms).]]>2249253