Abstract
Weed competition is one of the most important production constraints causing up to 91.6% reduction in potential yield of cowpea. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at Sirinka and at Jari, northern Ethiopia, during the 2014 main cropping season: to evaluate the effect of planting pattern and frequency of weeding on weeds, yield components and yield of cowpea. There were 18 treatments comprising combination of three planting patterns (S1: 60 cm x 10 cm, S2: 45 cm x 15 cm, S3: 45 cm x 10 cm) and six weeding frequencies viz. one hand weeding and hoeing at 2 weeks after crop emergence (WAE), one hand weeding and hoeing at 3 WAE, one hand weeding and hoeing at 4 WAE, two hand weeding and hoeing at 2 and 5 WAE, weed free check, and weedy check. The treatments were arranged in factorial combination in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed significantly lower total weed dry weight at Sirinka than at Jari. The highest weed control efficacy was recorded in two hand weeding and hoeing at 2 and 5 WAE of cowpea at Sirinka. The plants in weedy check plots at Jari attained maximum height which was significantly higher than all the other treatments. Significantly highest number of pods per plant was recorded in weed free check under 60 cm x 10 cm spacing at Jari. Number of seeds per pod was highest in weed free check at 45 cm x 10 cm spacing at Sirinka. The interaction of weeding frequency and location had significant effect on cowpea dry biomass yield. The highest total dry biomass (12413 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>) was obtained in one hand weeding and hoeing at 4 WAE at Jari while the highest grain yield (4508 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>) was recorded from complete weed free under 60 cm x 10 cm spacing at Sirinka. The harvest index ranged from 18.2% in weedy check at Jari to 39.1% in weed free check at Sirinka. The results indicated that the use of 60 cm x 10 cm planting pattern in combination with hand weeding and hoeing at 3 WAE at Sirinka and hand weeding and hoeing at 4 WAE at Jari proved to be the most feasible practice.
Highlights
Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is one of the most important food and forage legumes in the semi-arid tropics that include parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Southern Europe, and Southern United States [1]
Weed Dry Biomass Weed dry biomass at first hand weeding The interaction of weeding frequency and planting pattern revealed that one hand weeding and hoeing at 3 weeks after crop emergence (WAE) along with 60 cm x 10 cm planting pattern gave the lowest weed dry weight (27.20 gm-2) which was significantly lower than all the other interactions, except the interaction of one hand weeding at 3 WAE, 4 WAE, and two hand weeding at 2 and 5
The higher weed dry weight in weedy check might be due to higher weed density that provided an opportunity to the weeds to compete vigorously for nutrients, space, light, water and carbon dioxide resulting in higher biomass production (Table 5)
Summary
Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is one of the most important food and forage legumes in the semi-arid tropics that include parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Southern Europe, and Southern United States [1]. Both grain and leaves are edible products of cowpea that are rich and cheap sources of high quality protein. Cowpea fixes atmospheric nitrogen through symbiosis with nodule bacteria [4] It does well and is most popular in the semi-arid tropics where other food legumes do not perform well [5]. It is an extremely resilient crop to moisture stress and cultivated under some of the most extreme agricultural conditions in the world [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
