What is it about?
Drought tolerant is a complex trait that required the knowledge of its genetic basis. Understanding the genetic basis will aid the breeder in developing a drought tolerant cultivars. This study evaluated some seedling traits – seedling height, seedling vigor, and seedling terminal leaflet area and percentage recovery under a controlled environment in cowpea. The hybrid (F1 and RF1) showed best performance in both crosses evaluated suggesting the importance dominance in the inheritance of the drought-tolerant trait. This then indicated that heterosis breeding will be more rewarding in developing a drought tolerant cultivar in cowpea. However, both additive and dominance type of gene actions were pronounced in all characters but with predominant of dominance gene action. This suggests that effective selection is possible to fix this trait in the later generation.
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Why is it important?
Drought tolerant trait, though suggested to be a complex trait because of many factors (morphological, physiological and biochemical characters) confer drought resistance, but however through this study under a controlled environment indicated that this trait is under a genetic control and can be fixed.
Perspectives
The issue border on food security has become a global concern as a result of climate change. The scientist throughout the globe is working to gain access to detail information about this trait. In my own perspective, this article suggested a simple approach and information that can contribute to further study of this trait.
Amos Olajide
Wesley University, Ondo, Nigeria
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Genetic analysis of seedlings characters associated with drought tolerance in cowpea under a controlled environment, Plant Genetic Resources, September 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s1479262117000235.
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