Test of Homogeneity and Agromorphological Characteristics of Six Cowpea Lines From the Gene Bank of the University Peleforo Gon Coulibaly of Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire)

In order to promote the cultivation of cowpea, which offers many advantages to the population, the University Peleforo Gon Coulibaly of Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire) has established a seed bank which could have an important role in the introduction of improved adaptive characteristics. This study provides researchers with the agromorphological performance and proof of the purity of six cowpea genotypes in this seed bank. This purity of the genotypes was demonstrated by three different methods. First, the determination of off-type plants based on qualitative characters, the COYU method (Global Analysis of Homogeneity over several Years) showed that no off-type plant was identified within the six (6) genotypes in all cultivation cycles. Then, the analysis of the Coefficients of Variation (CV) of the characters showed low values for the majority below 10%. Finally, statistical tests such as the Shapiro-Wilk Normality test and the Levene test respectively showed that the values of the different characters have a normal distribution in these different genotypes and that for all the characters, the variances are identical in all the genotypes indicating homogeneity of each of the six genotypes. Also Multivariate Analyzes showed that these genotypes presenting different agronomic performances are distinct from each other. The NBO04 genotype is distant from the others. The greatest genetic distance was observed between the inbred lines NBO04 and NTE015, and the smallest distance was recorded between NKO03 and NFE011.