Nkurunziza, GelaseOdong, Thomas LapakaMbeyagala, Emmanuel K.Ssemakula, Mildred OchwoTumuhairwe, John Baptist2025-10-062025-10-062025-09-10Nkurunziza, G., Odong, T. L., Mbeyagala, E. K., Edema, R., Dramadri, I. O., Adjei, E. A., ... & Tumuhairwe, J. B. (2025). Identifying Optimal Lines for Enhanced Symbiotic Performance in a Mini‐Core Collection of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]. Advances in Agriculture, 2025(1), 2202496.https://doi.org/10.1155/aia/2202496https://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/12113Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important food security and climate-resilient legume grain crop grown in the semiarid regions of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It can symbiotically fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and improve soil fertility, which should be harnessed to increase its yield in the region. This study assessed the mini-core cowpea collection genotypes for effective and efficient nodulation, aiming to select the superior genotypes for further field evaluation in Ugandan agroecologies. A total of 252 cowpea genotypes were planted in pots in a screen house at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo (MUARIK), in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications. Seeds were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium spp. (strain ICB756). At early pod formation stage, data were collected on plant vigor (based on plant height, leave greenness, and biomass) and nodulation-related traits including number of nodule (NN) per plant, proportion of active nodule (AN), and nodule dry weight (NDW) per plant. Results showed that NN and AN ranged from 0% to about 89% and 0% to 100%, averaging 25% and 44.6%, respectively. NDW ranged from 0 to 128.9 mg/plant, averaging 31.7 mg/plant. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) among genotypes for AN and NDW, indicating a genetic diversity between the genotypes which were grouped in four clusters. There was a positive correlation between symbiotic traits and plant vigor, implying a combined possible improvement of these traits. Genotypes such as TVu-14971, TVu-1477, and TVu-14691 were identified as best performers for both nodulation traits and plant vigor, while TVu-9259, TVu-14621, and TVu-7719 exhibited poor nodulation. After confirmation under standardized screening conditions, the present findings could contribute to cowpea breeding programs aiming at developing new cultivars, contributing to agricultural sustainability and food security while maintaining a healthy environment.enArticle