This work aimed to evaluate the genetic divergence among cowpea genotypes, for selection of most divergent genotypes and of highest yield potential as parents in crossings as well as for future recommendation of cultivars in the reconcave region in Bahia, Brazil. The experiment was carried out Agronomy School of Universidade Federal da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, State of Bahia, using twenty two erect cowpea and twenty semi-erect cowpea genotypes, in a randomized design, with four replications. The following characters were analyzed: plant height, pod length, pod weight, grain weight for pod, number of grains for pod, weight of hundred grains, grain index, pod yield and grain yield. The genetic divergence was obtained by means of the Mahalanobis generalized distance. New genetic combinations can appear in the crossings among the TE97-309G-1, TE97-367G-3, TE97-367G-11 climbing genotype and TE97-430G-12 and TE97-321G-4 and TE97-404-1E-1 semi-erect genotypes. The selection of the climbing genotypes TE93-244-23F-1, TE97-299G-10 and BR 17-Gurguéia and the TE97-321G-4, TE97-406-2E, TE96-282-22G and EV x 91-2E-1 semi-erect genotypes demonstrated superiority for grain yield. Pod length, weight and yield characters are ones that contribute most to the genetic divergence.
Vigna unguiculata; dissimilarity; genetic variability; selection
