Avaliação de cultivares de feijão-caupi Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp, no sul da Amazônia

Abstract

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is a legume of great socioeconomic importance in tropical regions, standing out for its hardiness, nutritional value, and wide edaphoclimatic adaptability. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of eight cowpea cultivars (BRS Guirá, BRS Guariba, BRS Natalina, BRS Tumucumaque, BRS Utinga, BRS Nova Era, BRS Bené, and BRS Aracê) grown in Vilhena, Rondônia, in the southern Amazon, in order to identify genetically superior materials adapted to local edaphoclimatic conditions. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, evaluating the following variables: plant stand, pod weight and length, number of grains, yield per plot, moisture content, and grain weight. The cultivars showed significant differences for most of the evaluated characteristics. ABRS Bené stood out for its greater pod and grain weight, as well as superior productivity, and BRS Tumucumaque stood out for its pod length. BRS Utinga and BRS Natalina, on the other hand, showed inferior performance for the main productive characteristics. The results reinforce the importance of Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials in indicating cultivars adapted to Southern Amazonia, contributing to more efficient and sustainable production systems.