Growth and Yield of Some Vegetable Cowpea Genotypes as Influenced by Planting Season

摘要

Seven promising vegetable cowpea (Vign a unguiculata (L.) Walp)genotypes were evaluated at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria (05°29′N, 07°33′E, 122 masl) in 2011 early and late cropping seasons using split plot in randomized complete block design with four replications. Planting season constituted the main plot while vegetable cowpea genotypes were assigned into the sub-plots. The objectives of the study was to evaluate the growth, yield and yield components of seven vegetables cowpea genotypes as influenced by planting seasons in the humid tropics of south eastern Nigeria. The results revealed that planting season significantly (P<0.01) influenced growth and yield parameters. Early season planting encouraged vegetative growth of cowpea such as number of branches per plant and plant height contrary to late season planting which induced higher dry matter yield, number of flowers per plant, pod retention percent per plant, number of fresh pod per sq. meter, number of seeds per plant and pod yield (kg/ha). On the average across the both planting seasons (early and late), pod yield of cowpea genotypes was significantly (P IT98K-131-1>Akidi-ani >IT03K-324-9>Akidi-enu >IT98K-692>IT99K-377-1. Among the cowpea genotypes evaluated in the study, IT99K-377-1, IT98K-692 and Akidi-enu gave significant pod yields that were higher by 30.46%, 28.86% and 22.38%, respectively compared to the lowest pod yielding genotype (IIT04K-339-1). These promising high yielding genotypes can be evaluated on-farm for farmers’ benefits as well as to enhance food security and improve the protein intake of people living in sub-Sahara Africa.