Identificação de genótipos de feijão-caupi para produção de grãos verdes com potencial agronômico e sensorial

Abstract

Cowpea is highly appreciated by people from the Northeast of Brazil and has a wide adaptation and high protein content, being consumed in dry or green form. To indicate new genotypes in the market, sensory evaluations are of utmost importance to verify the acceptability of the product, and consequently its success in the market. The objective of the study was to identify at least one cowpea genotype with potential for the production of green beans based on quantitative, qualitative and sensory analyses. For this purpose, an experiment was set up in the city of Pacajus-CE to test 15 genotypes with aptitude for green beans. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with 3 replications, the plots consisted of 4 rows of 12 m long by 6 m wide, the spacing between rows was 1.5 m and between plants was 0.3 m. Some of the quantitative variables analyzed were: green pod mass, green pod length, green grain productivity, green pod productivity and green grain yield. Furthermore, for qualitative traits, ease of threshing, presence of skin, and color of the seed coat were evaluated. A sensory analysis was performed using the focus group, using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method, to characterize superior genotypes in terms of sensory. Quantitative traits were evaluated using the classic selection index, qualitative traits using informative tables, and sensory traits using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). For quantitative traits, the Paulistinha-Baraúna and Pingo de Ouro-BAG genotypes did not differ statistically from the control genotype, while for qualitative traits they differed only in grain shape and color. The variables grain weight per green pod, weight of 100 green beans, and green pod productivity were highly correlated, allowing for indirect selection. For culinary traits, the Gurguéia genotype was classified as difficult to thresh, and the avocado, pujante, and bengala genotypes had skin on the grains. For sensory analyses, the genotypes Pingo de Ouro – Local and Paulistinha – Baraúna had a series of attributes favorable to commercialization, such as pleasant flavor and aroma, and these are the genotypes indicated for commercialization. Regarding quantitative, qualitative and sensory characteristics, the control genotypes are the best and should continue to be commercialized.