EVALUATION OF ERECT AND SEMI ERECT COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) CULTIVARS UNDER DIFFERENT AGRO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF THE STATE OF PERNAMBUCO

Abstract

The planting of cowpea in the state of Pernambuco is conducted under dry weather conditions,with or without irrigation and in most cases in association to a corn crop. The peasants alwaysforeseen unstable raining season and prefer precocious genotypes. Even those that use irrigationfollow the same idea because less number of water applications is required. Under this situation,the cowpea is planted isolated. It is always searched high yield cultivars with good agronomicfeatures. Cowpea is the main protein source for the rural populations. In this investigation, thecorn was planted in the system of 2.23 x 0.70m and the cowpea 0.70 x 0.40m, using twocowpea rows between two rows of corn, in a stand density of two plants per hill. The testedmaterial was 19 lines and the cultivar IPA-206 as the check. The experimental design wasrandomized block, with four replications. The same experiment was set up in three differentagro environmental conditions: Itapirema, Serra Talhada and Araripina. The results pointed outthat the yields average of the genotypes were different in the different locations: Itapirema,Rain Forest Zone (Zona da Mata Úmida), the average yield was 453 Kg/ha; Serra Talhada,Pajeu-Semiarid (Agreste), 634 Kg/ha and Araripina, Araripe Plateau, Chapada do Araripe,1282 kg/ha. The lines L.950.003, L. 21007, L.382.003-A, L.698.018, L. 380.013-a, l.775.011,L.851.001, L. 382.003-A, L.698.018 and L.380.013 were the most promising.