SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN COWPEA BREEDING IN ROMANIA

Climate change has led to drought, the expansion of desertification, loss of wetlands, loss of biodiversity, declining agricultural output and productivity. In the area of sandy soils in the southwest of Romania, where, compared to the multiannual average, the average air temperature in the May-August period increased by 1.010C and the precipitations recorded insignificant increases (5.97 mm), being very low (227. 82 mm) and unevenly distributed in relation to plant requirements. In these conditions, it is necessary to cultivate some species of plants resistant to drought and to preserve and improve some genetic resources adapted to the arid climate. For the efficient use of the microclimate in the sandy soils areas at the Dabuleni Research & Development Station for Plant Culture on Sands, three genotypes of Aura 26, Ofelia, Doljana were developed, which were studied in a comparison comparative culture with Jiana variety. The production potential of the new varieties (2120-2706 kg / ha) was clearly superior to the control variety, the production differences being significant and very significant.