Cowpea Varieties Research Articles

Armazenamento e qualidade dos grãos de variedades crioulas de feijão-caupi em silo bolsa

ABSTRACT Storage is one of the main stages during grain production. The present study was conducted to evaluate the use of silo bags as an alternative for storing landrace cowpea grains. The experiment used samples of the Arigozinho, Manteiguinha, and Quarentão cowpea varieties from Cruzeiro do Sul - Acre, harvested in the 2021 crop season. The samples (500 g) were stored in raffia and silo bags for 30, 60, 90, and 120 days. The experimental design was completely randomized, arranged in a split-plot-in-time scheme (2 × 5) with four replicates. Storage conditions represented the plots: silo bags and raffia bags. The subplots comprised five storage conditions: 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days for each landrace cowpea variety. The insect species identified in all varieties was Zabrotes subfasciatus, with infestation ranging from 49% to 98% in raffia bags and less than 10% in silo bags over 120 days. A depreciation in grain quality was observed during storage in raffia bags. There was increase in electrical conductivity, fluctuations in water content, and reductions in bulk density and germination due to the higher degree of infestation in all the investigated varieties. The grains stored in silo bags showed minimal variations over the 120 days, maintaining their initial quality throughout the storage period. The bag silo storage system is an effective alternative for controlling Z. subfasciatus and maintaining the grain quality of the varieties Arigozinho, Manteiguinha, and Quarentão for a period of up to 120 days.

Productivity Variables for Adaptability of Cowpea Varieties under Strip Intercropping in Three Locations in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: The performance of five improved cowpea varieties under strip intercropping has been conducted in specific locations to assess their yield but their adaptability has not been determined. This paper presents results that assessed the adaptability of the improved cowpea varieties under strip intercropping in three locations in Limpopo province. Methods: Five cowpea varieties (TVu 13464, IT86D-1010, Glenda, IT82E-16 and IT87K-499-35) and maize were planted under strip intercropping in three locations (UL-Farm, Bela-Bela and Ga-Thaba) and two seasons. Data were collected on maturity, grain yield, land equivalent ratio, pods plant-1, plant height and seed size and were analysed using Genstat 20.1. Result: The ranking plot of grain yield indicates that the principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 96.33% of the total sum of square variation. The results indicate that IT86D-1010 and IT82E-16 matured early and were best yielders. The LER from IT82E-16, IT86D-1010, TVu 13464 and IT87K-499-35 exceedingly performed better that from Glenda (Control) thus indicating that they are superior in adaptation and in resource utilization. The performance and adaptation of the varieties varied across locations: IT82E-16 is adapted to UL-Farm and Bela-Bela while IT86D-1010 and IT87K-499-35 are adapted to Ga-Thaba and their production should be based on their best location(s).

Analysis of the Economic Profitability and Determinants of The Adoption of Improved Cowpea Varieties Korobalen IT89KD374 in the Segou Region

This study focuses on the adoption of improved cowpea varieties Korabalen. It involved 81 producers in the Commune of Sakoïba chosen randomly, more precisely those from the village of Zogofina. The data collected are both qualitative and quantitative. The econometric estimation for the analysis and interpretation of the data was done by Stata software. The study revealed that the adoption rate of the improved cowpea variety Korobalen is 14.81%. Non-adopters have a higher economic profitability than adopters. The adoption rate and economic profitability indicate that producers benefit more by adopting local cowpea varieties. The factors that positively and significantly affect the decision of the probability of adopting the improved cowpea variety are the area exploited and the practice of associated cultivation. These two factors favor the adoption of the improved cowpea variety Korobalen. On the other hand, household size negatively and significantly influences the probability of adopting local cowpea varieties. To promote wide dissemination and accessibility of the improved cowpea variety Korobalen, it is necessary to raise awareness and inform producers on good cultural practice measures, to restructure the average size of farms according to the producers' production objectives and to promote the valorization of associated cultivation to better optimize the yield of the various associated speculations.

Physico-mechanical measurements, functional properties, proximate composition of newly developed climate-resilient cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) varieties and their classification with near-infrared spectroscopy

AbstractCowpea is an important staple in Ghana and many tropical and subtropicalregions. Improving food security and agricultural sustainability for these crops requires the development of climate-resilient varieties.This study aimed to classify five newly developed climate-resilient cowpea varieties—Bawutawuta, SAMPEA 14, SARI-tuya, IT13K-1070–2, and IT07K-299–6—using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for classification, while standard methods were used to evaluate their composition, functional and physico-mechanical properties. Proximate composition, including moisture, protein, ash, fat, crude fiber, and carbohydrates, was determined according to Association of Official Analytical Chemists methods. NIRS data was processed within the 950–1650 nm range to reduce spectral noise, employing Savitzky-Golay smoothing for baseline correction. Linear Discriminant Analysis facilitated multi-class classification, with cross-validation performed using a leave-one-sample-out method to evaluate recognition and prediction accuracy. The cowpea varieties exhibited significant differences in their chemical and physico-mechanical properties. Moisture content ranged from 7.21% to 10.88%, protein from 22.84% to 32.53%, ash from 0.90% to 1.81%, fat from 2.56% to 9.13%, crude fiber from 2.90% to 4.78%, and carbohydrates from 47.43% to 53.85%. NIRS analysis demonstrated high sensitivity, achieving a recognition accuracy of 98.08% and a prediction accuracy of 96.19%. Bawutawuta and SARI-tuya presented distinct spectral profiles, while SAMPEA 14, IT13K-1070–2, and IT07K-299–6 showed overlapping spectra. These findings provide valuable insights into the unique attributes of each cowpea variety, which can be leveraged to optimize agricultural practices, processing, and storage of these climate-resilient varieties.

Symbiotic N2 fixation in cowpea varieties is markedly enhanced by inoculation with elite Bradyrhizobium strains

Because of its excellent ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] makes a significant contribution to soil sustainability and productivity in the resource limited tropical regions. However, due to in part to ineffectiveness and limited availability of bio-inoculant, its symbiotic N contribution and yield remained low in the field. Therefore, this study examined the effect of elite cowpea infecting Bradyrhizobium strains (CP-24 and CP-37) on shoot biomass and symbiotic nitrogen contributions of four cowpea varieties (Keti, TVU, Black eye bean, and White wonderer trailing). For this a two-year field experiment was carried out at three sites using a factorial randomized complete block design with four replications. The natural abundance of the 15N technique was used to compute the symbiotic N contribution. Bradyrhizobium inoculation led to significantly higher nodule formation, % Ndfa, amounts of N fixed, and shoot biomass, demonstrating the effectiveness and ability of the strains to enhance soil fertility. Inoculating cowpea with CP-24 strain increased shoot N content, % Ndfa and N fixed by 40%, 15%, and 41%, respectively, in comparison to the un-inoculated control. Furthermore, the inoculant by variety interaction had a significant effect on nodule number, nodule dry weight, and amount of N fixed, with TVU and White Wonderer trailing in combination with CP-24 exhibiting the most outstanding performance. There was also a strong positive correlation between biomass accumulation and N fixed, as well as N fixed and seed yield. Therefore, Bradyrhizobium inoculation on cowpea varieties TVU and White Wonderer trailing with CP-24 strain is recommended at all three tested sites and similar agro-ecologies for improved symbiotic N contribution and associated yield advantage of cowpea. This study highlights that, the use of elite and crop specific Bradyrhizobium strains can boost symbiotic nitrogen contribution, soil fertility, and the yield performance of legumes. Thus, it helps resource-poor farmers who are suffering from rising mineral fertilizer cost to achieve food security while reducing climate change risks.

Contrast Relative Humidity Response of Diverse Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) Genotypes: Deep Study Using RNAseq Approach.

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is appreciated for its suitability for cultivation and obtaining good yields in relatively extreme farming conditions. It is resistant to high temperatures and drought. Moreover, food products prepared from Vigna are rich in many nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, fiber, vitamins, and other bioactive compounds. However, in East and Southeast Asia, where the products of this crop are in demand, the climate is characterized by excessive humidity. Under these conditions, the vast majority of cowpea varieties tend to have indeterminate growth (elongated shoot length) and are unsuitable for mechanized harvesting. The molecular mechanisms for tolerance to high relative humidity remain the least studied in comparison with those for other abiotic stress factors (drought, heat, cold, flooding, etc.). The purpose of the work was to reveal and investigate differentially expressed genes in cowpea accessions having contrasting growth habits (determinate and indeterminate) under humid and drought conditions. We performed RNA-seq analysis using selected cowpea accessions from the VIR collection. Among the genotypes used, some have significant changes in their plant architecture in response to high relative humidity, while others were tolerant to these conditions. In total, we detected 1697 upregulated and 1933 downregulated genes. The results showed that phytohormone-related genes are involved in cowpea response to high relative humidity. DEGs associated with jasmonic acid signaling are proposed to be key contributors in the maintenance of compact architecture under humid conditions.

Genome-wide Association Studies of Photosynthetic and Agronomic Traits in Cowpea Collection.

Exploring genomic regions linked with drought tolerance and photosynthesis in cowpea could accelerate breeding of climate-resilient cowpea varieties A Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify marker-trait associations for agronomic and photosynthetic traits measured under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. One hundred and twelve cowpea accessions from IITA were phenotyped for agronomic and photosynthetic traits across three locations in two years: Ibadan, Ikenne (2020 and 2021) and Kano (2021 and 2022). The accessions were genotyped using 19,000 DArT-Seq SNP markers from which 9,210 markers were utilized for GWAS analysis using BLINK and mixed linear model (MLM) in GAPIT. Results revealed significant accession × environment interactions for measured traits while ΦPSII, ΦNO and ΦNPQ had significant and consistent correlations with grain yield across conditions. GWAS identified five SNP markers having consistent associations with grain yield under well-watered and water-stressed conditions and three markers associated with ΦNPQ and ΦNO. Gene annotations revealed Vigun04g169000 and Vigun08g168900 genes linked with grain yield and highly expressed under water-stressed conditions have functional roles in regulating plant development and adaptive response to environmental stress. Vigun07g133400, Vigun07g132700 and Vigun07g258000 genes linked with ΦNPQ and ΦNO are involved in activities controlling photoprotection and stress-induced damage in plants. This study identified natural genetic variation in cowpea and correlations between photosynthetic traits and grain yield under real-field drought conditions. The identified SNP markers upon validation would be valuable in marker-assisted selection and useful for cowpea breeders to harness the role of photosynthesis in genetic enhancement of cowpea tolerance to drought.

Response of Two Cowpea Cultivars to Spraying with Moringa Leaf Extract and Jasmonic Acid in Growth Yield Components

A field experiment was conducted at the Research Station of the College of Agriculture, University of Kufa/Najaf, for the spring season of 2023, to determine the growth and yield response of two cowpea varieties to spraying with Moringa leaf extract and jasmonic acid (JA). The experiment included three factors, the first factor was two varieties of cowpea: American Ramshon and Dutch variety, the second factor was foliar spray with Moringa leaf extract at three concentrations of 0.2 and 4 g L-1, and the third factor was foliar spray with three concentrations of JA at 0, 10 and 20 mg L-1. The spraying was applied three times during the growing season, with an interval period of 14 days. The experiment was split-split-plots based on Randomized Complete Blocks Design (R.C.B.D) and three replicates. The results showed that the Dutch variety was significantly superior in the vegitative growth indicators, while the American cowpea Ramshon had the highest response in quantitative and chemical indicators, especially the total plant yield of green pods recording 7.470 tons ha-1 compared to 5.886 tons ha-1 for the Dutch variety. Spraying with Moringa leaf extract at a concentration of 4 g L-1 recorded significantly higher indicators in the shoot dry weight 65.59 g plant-1, number of pods 25.61 pods plant-1, and leaf and pods content of carbohydrates and protein 2.65 and 12.95%. On the other hand, foliar spray with JA at 20 mg L-1 recorded a significant increase in plant length 45.88 cm. Most of the studied indicators in the experiment recorded higher rates in the interaction treatment of the Dutch variety and spraying 4 g L-1 Moringa leaf extract and 10 mg L-1 of JA compared to all individual and interaction treatments.

Response of Two Cowpea Cultivars to Spraying with Moringa Leaf Extract and Jasmonic Acid in Growth Yield Components

A field experiment was conducted at the Research Station of the College of Agriculture, University of Kufa/Najaf, for the spring season of 2023, to determine the growth and yield response of two cowpea varieties to spraying with Moringa leaf extract and jasmonic acid (JA). The experiment included three factors, the first factor was two varieties of cowpea: American Ramshon and Dutch variety, the second factor was foliar spray with Moringa leaf extract at three concentrations of 0.2 and 4 g L-1, and the third factor was foliar spray with three concentrations of JA at 0, 10 and 20 mg L-1. The spraying was applied three times during the growing season, with an interval period of 14 days. The experiment was split-split-plots based on Randomized Complete Blocks Design (R.C.B.D) and three replicates. The results showed that the Dutch variety was significantly superior in the vegitative growth indicators, while the American cowpea Ramshon had the highest response in quantitative and chemical indicators, especially the total plant yield of green pods recording 7.470 tons ha-1 compared to 5.886 tons ha-1 for the Dutch variety. Spraying with Moringa leaf extract at a concentration of 4 g L-1 recorded significantly higher indicators in the shoot dry weight 65.59 g plant-1, number of pods 25.61 pods plant-1, and leaf and pods content of carbohydrates and protein 2.65 and 12.95%. On the other hand, foliar spray with JA at 20 mg L-1 recorded a significant increase in plant length 45.88 cm. Most of the studied indicators in the experiment recorded higher rates in the interaction treatment of the Dutch variety and spraying 4 g L-1 Moringa leaf extract and 10 mg L-1 of JA compared to all individual and interaction treatments.

Effect of radiation on the incidence and severity of bacterial blight disease induced by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Vignicola on some varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)

Effect of radiation on the incidence and severity of bacterial blight disease induced by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Vignicola on some varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)

Morphological and molecular characterization of Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid isolates causing charcoal rot of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) in Ghana

The study of the variations in Macrophomina phaseolina, the causal agent of charcoal rot, is critical in understanding the ecology of the isolates and the epidemiology of the diseases they cause. This study sought to identify and characterize M. phaseolina isolates using both molecular and morphological approaches and to determine the virulence of the isolates. Macrophomina phaseolina was isolated from cowpea-diseased stem tissues. Eleven M. phaseolina isolates from the major cowpea growing areas (Manga, Nyankpala, Yendi, Damongo, Tumu, Wa, Akomadan and Ejura) were morphologically and molecularly characterized. DNA of the M. phaseolina isolates were amplified using species-specific PCR primers MpKF1 (5'-CCGCCAGAGGACTATCAAAC-3') and MpKR1 (5'-CGTCCGAAGCGAGGTGTATT-3') and sequencing of the M. phaseolina specific amplicons was obtained. This was followed by searching against the NCBI nucleotide sequence database. Isolates were tested for their pathogenicity on a susceptible cowpea cultivar (IT97K-499-35). Virulence of the M. phaseolina isolates was expressed as the percentage of sown seeds that expressed seed rot and damping-off symptoms 14 days after planting. All isolates were confirmed as M. phaseolina based on the amplicon size obtained, and the sequenced amplicons showed an average of 99% homology to the available M. phaseolina sequences. The radial growth of isolates and the percentage of seed rot and damping off they caused on the IT97K-499-35 cultivar varied significantly. The percentage seed rot and damping off were positively correlated (r = 0.74 and 0.75) with the radial growth and colour intensity of the isolates, respectively. Macrophomina phaseolina infection and disease expression may be predicted by the colour and colour intensity of isolates as well as cowpea genotypes. Isolate Mp_3Mc (dense black colour) was the most virulent while isolate Mp_6Ec (grey colour) was the least virulent, resulting in 76.7% and 26.7% seed rot and damping off, respectively. The three clades resolved through the phylogenetic tree matched the distinct colour types of M. phaseolina which correlated with virulence. Isolates of M. phaseolina are diverse and differ in their pathogenicity. Efforts must be geared towards developing cowpea varieties that have resistance to charcoal rot disease.

A Study of the Effect of Sorghum Varieties and Cowpea Intercropping on Land Productivity and Competition Index in Fedis District, Eastern Ethiopia

Now a day human population increasing rapidly and cause land shortage land degradation, and poor soil fertility. Intercropping provides an opportunity to harness available resources by the cultivation of two or more crops planted simultaneously in the same land to produced cereal-legume for food and feed. A field study was conducted in Fedis District in 2018 to determine the impact of intercropping early maturing sorghum varieties and cowpeas on the land productivity and competition index. With a total of 11 treatments; two cowpea cultivars (9333 and 9334) and three varieties of early maturing sorghum (Teshale, Birhan and Melkam), their intercropping and sole cropping were determined using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Intercropping of sorghum-cowpea varieties produced significantly higher total land productivity than sole cropping of both varieties. The value of land equivalent ratio ranges from 1.21 for Sorghum (Teshale) + Cowpea (9334) to 1.36 for sorghum (Birhan) + cowpea (9333) and the overall mean was obtained as 1.30. The Percentage of the land saved of grain yields obtained was ranges 17.37% to 26.47% from of sorghum Teshale + cowpea varieties (9334) to sorghum Birhan + cowpea varieties (9333) and for Biomass yield production recorded from 27.01% to 36.71% that obtained from sorghum Melkam + cowpea (9333) and sorghum Birhan + cowpea (9334). Intercropped of sorghum-cowpea over all mean 23.25% for grain yield and 31.515% for biomass land was saved than sowing alone. Based on the result sorghum-cowpea intercropped, had the strength of relationship interaction and compatible; preferably sorghum Melkam + cowpea (9333) appropriate to increase the productions in study area and with similar agro-ecology.

Assessment of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) varieties for grain yield and profitability through on farm trial

Assessment of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) varieties for grain yield and profitability through on farm trial

Effects of the integrated use of organic and inorganic phosphorus sources in micro-doses on the yield and profitability of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) Cultivation

An experiment was conducted in the field to evaluate the effect of phosphorus fertilization in microdose using organic and mineral fertilizers on the yield and profitability of cowpea cultivation. To achieve this, a balanced application of NPK and granular compost was provided to supply the same amount of phosphorus to the cowpea. Three treatments were compared in a split-plot design with three replications, where the treatments were in large plots and the cowpea varieties, numbering four (4), were in small plots. The three treatments are as follows: (i) T0 control treatment without fertilizer application, (ii) T1 application of two grams of NPK per hole, and (iii) T2 application of 9.375 grams of granular compost per hole. The results show a significant difference in yield parameters between treatments (pod yield, grain yield, and straw yield). The mean comparison test revealed that the control treatment and NPK are quite similar for these parameters. Thus, with compost, an increase of 69.17% in grain yield, 55.47% in pod yield, and 41.67% in straw yield was noted compared to the control. The VCR (value-cost ratio) and gross income were significantly improved by compost. The application of organic or mineral fertilizers for cowpea cultivation is profitable due to relatively high VCRs: 3.34 for NPK and 6.79 for compost. Therefore, the use of compost for cowpea cultivation proves to be economically more profitable, as it yields higher returns.

Exploring the Effective Management Strategy to Sustain Cowpea Production under High Temperature Stress

Background: Abiotic stress negatively impacts the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants leading to loss of yield and quality. The substantial increase in population and global surface temperature extends to global food insecurity hence it is important to maintain a sustainable yield of crops. Cowpea being a protein-rich legume and a nodule-forming crop facilitates not only meeting food insecurity but also creates a sustainable environment. The objective of this study was to explore the suitable management practice for cowpea to attain sustainable yield under the elevated temperature of +2°C from ambient. Methods: An experiment in cowpea variety Co 7 was carried out in Temperature Gradient Tunnel (TGT) located at Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The research trial was carried out during the year 2021 and 2022 with Factorial Completely Randomized Design (FCRD). In this study, we have investigated the effect of different treatments on growth, yield, quality and available nutrients in soil. Result: The application of vermicompost with foliar spray of 3% Panchagavya at 30, 45 and 60 DAS stimulated the plant height, number of leaves and leaf area index (LAI). The increase in availability of soil nutrients exhibited higher dry matter production, pod length (10.46 cm), number of seeds per pod (7.56), test weight (12.56 g), seed yield (13.25 g plant-1) and seed protein (21.82%). These results suggest that vermicompost application with 3% foliar spray of Panchagavya has a positive effect on improving the high-temperature tolerance of cowpea plants.

Assessing the adaptability and resilience of cowpea and maize varieties to various climatic zones of Côte d’Ivoire

The cultivation of cowpea and maize is common, but it is carried out without a prior selection of varieties that can effectively adapt to the specific climatic conditions of the zones. This study aimed at assessing cowpea and maize varieties in different ecological zones in order to identify the resilient varieties with respect to zone. The experiments were conducted in three different climatic and vegetation zones of Côte d’Ivoire: tropical rainforest zone, forest-savannah mosaic, and sub-Sudanian savannah in South, Centre-West, and North Côte d’Ivoire, respectively. In each zone, a randomized complete block design was used. Four varieties of both cowpea and maize were used. The analysis of variance was realized using grain yield data to compare varieties and climatic zones. The best varieties obtained differed according to the zones. Thus, in the tropical rain forest zone, the cowpea variety KVX780-6 and maize variety Violet de Katiola were the most yielding, with 593.30 kg ha−1 and 1270.84 kg ha−1, respectively. In forest-savannah mosaic, the cowpea variety KVX745-11P and maize variety SR21 obtained the highest yields, with 761.82 kg ha−1 and 2212.99 kg ha−1, respectively. The cowpea variety Tiligre and maize variety SR21 were the most productive in the sub-Sudanian savannah zone, with yields of 327.31 kg ha−1 and 1797.3 kg ha−1, respectively. Overall, the highest yield of cowpea (513.20 kg ha−1) and maize (1757.13 kg ha−1) were observed in forest-savannah mosaic. The best cowpea and maize varieties identified in each zone can be recommended to farmers.

Response of Sulphur and Zinc on Yield Attributes, Yield and Economics of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)

During the Kharif season of 2023, a field experiment took place at the Crop Research Farm within the Department of Agronomy at SHUATS in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The objective was to investigate the influence of sulphur and zinc on the yield attributes, yield and economics of cowpea. Growth and yield data were collected for the crop.The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design with 10 treatments, each replicated three times. The treatments included varying levels of sulphur (25, 30, 35 kg/ha) and zinc (5, 10, 15 kg/ha), along with a control treatment of 20-50-20 kg/ha using Cowpea variety ‘Kashinidhi’. The findings indicated that applying 35 kg/ha of sulphur in along with 15 kg/ha of zinc resulted in the following outcomes for cowpea, Maximum Number of pods per plant (17.1), Number of seeds per pod (9.8), Seed yield (1423.27 kg/ha), Stover yield (3201.9 kg/ha), Maximum gross returns (1,06,745.14 INR/ha), net returns (73,245.14 INR/ha) and B:C ratio (2.19). These favourable results were observed in Treatment-9, where the specified combination of 35 kg/ha of Sulphur + 15 kg/ha Zinc was applied.

Effect of Phosphorus levels with and without Phosphate solubilizing bacteria on growth, yield and quality of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) L.

A field experiment entitled “Effect of phosphorus levels with and without phosphate solubilizing bacteria on growth, yield and quality of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) in semi-arid region of South-Eestern Rajasthan was conducted during Kharif season of 2021 at the Experimental Farm of Agronomy, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh (Rajasthan). The experiment consists of eight treatments, levels of phosphorus with and without PSB viz., 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1, PSB, 20 kg P2O5 ha-1+PSB, 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 +PSB and 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 +PSB replicated four times laid down in RBD. Cowpea variety Pratap RC-19 was used with seed rate 15 kg ha-1. Growth attributes viz., plant height at 60 DAS and at harvest responded with 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 except 30 DAS where it responded with 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 over control. Primary and secondary branches per plant, number of trifoliate leaf of cowpea statistically significantly responded up to 40 kg P2O5. ha-1 at harvest. Similarly, root nodule number at 45 DAS responded up to 40 kg P2O5. ha-1 whereas nodule dry weight was responded up to 60 kg P2O5. ha-1 at 45 DAS over 40 kg, 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and control. Yield attributing characters namely number of pods per plant and pod length were perceptibly increase, ed by application of 40 kg P2O5. ha-1 over 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and control. Further, application of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 remained statistically at par in enhancing yield attributes. 1000-grain weight, seeds per pod and harvest index was significantly higher up to 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and control. Grain, straw and biological yields of cowpea perceptibly increased with the application of 40 kg and 60 kg P2O5. ha-1 but the higher dose of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 remained statistically at par with 40 kg P2O5 ha-1. Improvement in N content both in grain and straw, P content in straw and K content both in grain and straw, protein content in grain and grain protein yield was significantly improved up to 40 kg P2O5. ha-1. P content in grain was responded with 60 kg P2O5 ha-1. Similarly, NPK uptake by both grain and straw and total uptake of nutrients (NPK)Nwas increased significantly under 40 kg P2O5. ha-1 over 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and control. The dose of 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 remained statistically at par with 40 kg P2O5. ha-1 in enhancing gross and net returns and B:C over 20 kg P2O5 ha-1 and control.

Macronutrient Composition and Starch Type of Food Formulations Based on Rice and Cowpea Varieties

Macronutrient Composition and Starch Type of Food Formulations Based on Rice and Cowpea Varieties

Present characteristics of cowpea variety selection criteria vary significantly in major growing regions of Kenya

Present characteristics of cowpea variety selection criteria vary significantly in major growing regions of Kenya