Heterosis, Combining ability and Genetic architecture in cowpea

Cowpea is introduced in Indian sub continent about 3500 years ago along with sorghum and millets. Among all the pulses, cowpea locally known as lobiya, chowla (chowli), southern pea or black eye pea, is an annual legume that is adopted to warm condition and cultivated in the tropics and sub-tropics for dry grains, green edible pods for vegetable as well as fodder. Cowpea fits well in a variety of cropping system and is grown as cover crop, mixed crop, catch crop and green manure crop. It can be capable of restoring soil fertility and therefore, remain an integral part of subsistence and sustainable production system.