Multi-trait stability selection drives genetic gains in cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] under high-temperature stress.
Ps B, Biradar M, Meena VS, Tripathi K, Babar R
Climate Adaptation
Cowpea is a vital protein source for millions of people in hot, food-insecure regions, and as summers grow hotter, identifying varieties that still produce beans under scorching conditions could mean the difference between a harvest and a failed crop.
Researchers tested 250 different cowpea plants (the legume behind black-eyed peas) to see which ones could still flower and make seeds during a brutal heat wave — temperatures above 35°C that hit right when the plants needed to reproduce. More than 100 varieties simply gave up and produced nothing. The survivors with the best pod and seed counts were identified as prime candidates for developing new heat-tough varieties that farmers can actually grow as climates warm.
Key Findings
Only 147 of 250 cowpea accessions (59%) successfully flowered and set seeds under heat stress exceeding 35°C during flowering.
Seed yield, pods per plant, and seeds per pod all showed high heritability (≥60%), meaning these heat-tolerance traits can be reliably passed on through breeding.
Five complementary multi-trait stability indices consistently identified the same top-performing genotypes, giving breeders high confidence in the selections.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists identified cowpea varieties that can survive and produce seeds even when temperatures exceed 35°C during flowering — a critical stress point that caused over 40% of tested varieties to fail completely. By combining field trials across multiple sites with advanced multi-trait scoring methods, they pinpointed elite heat-tolerant lines ready for direct use in breeding programs.
Abstract Preview
Cowpea ( A total of 250 diverse cowpea accessions, along with five checks, were evaluated at Baramati and Jodhpur during the 2022–2023 growing season under both normal and late sowing conditions to...
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The cowpea is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus Vigna. It can be erect, semierect (trailing), or climbing. A high level of morphological diversity is found within the species with large variations in the size, shape, and structure of the plant. Four subspecies are recognised, three of wh...