2019 ASHS Annual Conference

Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.] is used as a vegetable throughout the world and little is known about the variability for protein, seed characteristics, flavonoid, and anthocyanin concentrations. Therefore, 38 cowpea accessions representing a subset of the core collection were subjected to a principal component and cluster analysis. Principal component analysis cumulatively accounted for 27, 46, 62, 74, and 82 % of the variation by adding principal components 1 through 5, respectively. Principal components 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were most correlated with anthocyanins, flavonoids, 100 seed weight, seed pattern, and seed pattern color, respectively. Average linkage cluster analysis grouped the original 38 cowpea accessions into well defined phenotypes with five distinct anthocyanin and flavonoid production groups. Groups 1 through 5 represent the highest to lowest producers of anthocyanins and flavonoids by the cowpea accessions. Based on these results, cowpea cultivar development for high biochemical, seed yield, and seed pattern colors for use as new functional and healthier vegetables.