Descriptor list used at NPGRL to characterize cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) accessions. We created this descriptor list based on IPGRI descriptors for cowpea and the RHS colour chart.
Number of days from planting to 50% seedling emergence
Recorded at the time when primary leaves are fully expanded
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Green | |
| 5 | Purple | |
| 7 | Others |
Mean of 10 plants
Based on plant width and height 3-4 weeks after sowing
Legend:
Non-vigorous (height less than 37 cm and widht less than 75 cm)
Intermediate (height greater than 37 cm or width greater than 75 cm)
Vigorous (height greater than 37 cm and width greater than 75 cm)
Very vigorous (height greater than 50 cm and width greater than 1 m)
Recorded 3-4 weeks after sowing
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Determinate | |
| 2 | Indeterminate |
Evaluated in the sixth after sowing
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Acute erect | (branches form acute angles with main stem) |
| 1 | Erect | (branching angle less acute than above) |
| 2 | Semi-erect | (branches perpendicular to main stem, but do not touch the ground) |
| 3 | Intermediate | (most lower branches touch the ground) |
| 4 | Semi-prostrate | (main stem reaches 20 or more centimeters above the ground; branches spread1-2 meters) |
| 5 | Prostrate | (plants flat on the ground; branches spread several meters) |
| 6 | Climbing |
Of stem, leaves and pods
Legend:
Glabrescent
Short appressed hairs
Pubescent to hirsute
Legend:
None
Slight
Intermediate
Pronounced
Recorded for stem, branches, petioles and peduncles in the sixth week after sowing
Legend:
None
Very slight
Moderate at the base and tips of petioles
Intermediate
Extensive
Solid
Recorded at maturity when pods are already harvested; mean of 10 randomly selected plants
Recorded for the terminal leaflet of a young, mature leaf in the sixth week after sowing
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deltoid | |
| 2 | Ovate-lanceolate | |
| 3 | Cuneate | |
| 4 | Lobed | |
| 5 | Lobed lineate |
Recorded for the terminal leaflet of a young,mature leaf in the 6th week after sowing
Legend:
Globose
Sub-globose
Sub-hastate
Hastate
Intensity of leaf colour
Legend:
Pale green
Intermediate green
Dark green
Presence/absence of V-mark on leaflets
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Absent | |
| 1 | Present |
Recorded in cm for the terminal leaflet whose shape was recorded in 5
Recorded in cm, the widest dimension of the terminal leaflet whose shape was recorded in 5
Legend:
Cariaceous
Intermediate
Membranous
Recorded in mm
Recorded in mm
The branches whose origin is in the leaf axils on the main stem; recorded in the 8th week after sowing
Number of days from planting to 50% of plants with at least one open flower
Recorded when peduncle have reached full length
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mostly above canopy | |
| 2 | In upper canopy | |
| 3 | Throughout canopy |
Of newly opened flowers
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not pigmented | |
| 1 | Wing pigmented; standard with light V-shaped pattern of pigment at top centre | |
| 2 | Pigmented margins on wing and standard | |
| 3 | Wing pigmented; standard lightly pigmented | |
| 4 | Wing with pigmented upper margin; standard is pigmented | |
| 5 | Completely pigmented | |
| 6 | With bluish violet margins | |
| 7 | Wings lightly pigmented, standard not pigmented | |
| 8 | With bluish margins |
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | |
| 3 | Violet | |
| 5 | Mauve-pink | |
| 7 | Yellow | |
| 9 | Blue |
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | |
| 3 | Violet | |
| 5 | Mauve-pink | |
| 7 | Light blue | |
| 9 | Blue violet |
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | |
| 3 | Violet | |
| 5 | Mauve-pink | |
| 7 | Light blue |
Mean length of 10 freshly opened flowers,randomly selected standard petal
In mm; the mean length of 10 freshly opened flowers
Days from first flowers to stage when 50% of the plants have finished flowering
Mean of 10 randomly selected plants
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | |
| 2 | Violet | |
| 3 | Mauve-pink | |
| 4 | bluish violet | |
| 5 | light violet | |
| 6 | violet with bluish violet | |
| 7 | light pink | |
| 8 | mauve pink with bluish margins |
Number of days from sowing to stage when 50% of plants have mature pods
Number of days from sowing to stage when 50% of plants have mature pods
In cm. Recorded when peduncles have grown full length. Mean length of 10 peduncle, one from each randomly selected plants
Recorded under total insect control. Mean of 10 randomly selected peduncles
Mean number of 10 pods
In cm. Mean of the 10 longest mature pods from 10 randomly selected plants
In cm. Mean width of 10 pods measured for length in 5
Recorded when pods are full grown
Legend:
Pendant
30 – 90º down from erect
Erect
Pattern of pigment distribution on full grown immature pods
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | |
| 1 | Pigmented tip | |
| 2 | Pigmented sutures | |
| 3 | Pigmented valves, green sutures | |
| 4 | Splashes of pigment | |
| 5 | Uniformly pigmented | |
| 6 | Other | (specify) |
Of mature pods
Legend:
Straight
Slightly curved
Curved
Coiled
Of mature pods
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pale tan or straw | |
| 2 | Dark tan | |
| 3 | Dark brown | |
| 4 | Black or dark purple | |
| 5 | Other | (specify) |
In mm. Mean of 10 mature seeds excluding those from the extremities of pods
In mm. Mean width from hilum to keel of the ten seeds measured for length in 3
In mm. Mean thickness of the ten seeds measured for length in 3 ; measured perpendicular to length and width
Fresh pods
Legend:
Thin
Intermediate
Thick
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kidney | |
| 2 | Ovoid | |
| 3 | Crowder | |
| 4 | Globose | |
| 5 | Rhomboid |
Legend:
Smooth
Smooth to rough
Rough (fine reticulation)
Rough to wrinkled (coarse folds on the testa)
Wrinkled
Largest area for 2 or more colors
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | |
| 2 | Cream | |
| 3 | Brown | |
| 4 | Black | |
| 5 | Maroon | |
| 6 | Mixed |
For seeds with two or more colors
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None | |
| 1 | White | |
| 2 | Cream | |
| 3 | Brown | |
| 4 | Black | |
| 5 | Maroon | |
| 6 | Mixed |
A visual estimate of seed compression, being indicative of spacing within the pod
Legend:
Not crowded (no compression of seed ends)
Semi-crowded (slight flattening of seed ends)
Crowded (marked compression of seed ends)
Extremely crowded (seed width greater than seed length)
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Absent | |
| 1 | Present | (testa split exposing cotyledons) |
| Code | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Testa not firmly attached to seeed | |
| 1 | Testa firmly attached to seeds |
From 10 randomly selected plants
Mean weight of all harvested pods of each plant per accession after being dried to appropriate moisture content
From 10 randomly selected pods after being dried to appropriate moisture content
Mean number of seeds from 10 randomly selected pods
over total harvest (%)
over total harvest (%)
over total harvest (%)
Weight of 100 seeds in g, moisture content 12%