Abstract:To clarify the relative importance of different agronomic traits on yield in common cowpea, 14 common cowpea varieties (lines) were used as experimental materials. Grey correlation analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between yield and 8 major agronomic traits, aiming to determine the relative priority of each trait′s impact on yield. The results showed that the order of association between agronomic traits and yield was as follows: yield per plant(0.770 6) > pod length(0.713 6) > number of grains per pod(0.705 5) > number of pods per plant(0.702 2) > 100-seed weight (0.698 1) > number of main stem branches (0.644 9) > plant height (0.631 6) > number of main stem nodes (0.618 0). Therefore, in common cowpea breeding, varieties with high yield per plant and longer pod length should be prioritized, followed by those with higher number of grains per pod, higher number of pods per plant, and heavier 100-seed weight. Appropriate number of main stem branching and plant height should be considered, with suitable number of main stem nodes selected last. Applying these research findings to common cowpea variety selection provides a theoretical basis for parent plant screening and new variety development, playing a positive role in promoting the development of the common cowpea planting industry in the western region of Jilin Province.