A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa
In West Africa, cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) is an important source of protein for many people. To meet the protein demands, the cowpea yields per unit area and its seed protein content must be increased. We evaluated the effects of the planting density and topdressing (fertilisatio...
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/199 |
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| author | Haruki Ishikawa Benoît Joseph Batieno Christian Fatokun Ousmane Boukar |
| author_facet | Haruki Ishikawa Benoît Joseph Batieno Christian Fatokun Ousmane Boukar |
| author_sort | Haruki Ishikawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In West Africa, cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) is an important source of protein for many people. To meet the protein demands, the cowpea yields per unit area and its seed protein content must be increased. We evaluated the effects of the planting density and topdressing (fertilisation) timing on the cowpea yield and its protein content. High density (HD: 40 × 40 cm) and super high density (SHD: 40 × 20 cm) plantings were the most efficient approaches for enhancing cowpea yields. Across different regions in Burkina Faso, under such approaches, the yield significantly increased by as much as 214.5%, with an average value of 88.9%. Fertilisation was not required to achieve the significant increases in cowpea production following dense planting. Although the yield increased, the seed weight per plant decreased with the increase in planting density. Applying topdressing when the plants started flowering increased the seed protein content significantly by up to 24.4%. Simple and robust technologies, such as high-density planting and topdressing, can be rapidly disseminated for increased cowpea yields and protein content improvement for Burkina Faso and for other countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:53:18Z |
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| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:53:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-79c469f8e5b24732abb4fb367c3863532023-11-23T18:16:15ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722022-01-0112219910.3390/agriculture12020199A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West AfricaHaruki Ishikawa0Benoît Joseph Batieno1Christian Fatokun2Ousmane Boukar3International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan 200001, Oyo, NigeriaInstitut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou 04 BP 8645, Burkina FasoInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan 200001, Oyo, NigeriaInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320, Oyo Road, Ibadan 200001, Oyo, NigeriaIn West Africa, cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) is an important source of protein for many people. To meet the protein demands, the cowpea yields per unit area and its seed protein content must be increased. We evaluated the effects of the planting density and topdressing (fertilisation) timing on the cowpea yield and its protein content. High density (HD: 40 × 40 cm) and super high density (SHD: 40 × 20 cm) plantings were the most efficient approaches for enhancing cowpea yields. Across different regions in Burkina Faso, under such approaches, the yield significantly increased by as much as 214.5%, with an average value of 88.9%. Fertilisation was not required to achieve the significant increases in cowpea production following dense planting. Although the yield increased, the seed weight per plant decreased with the increase in planting density. Applying topdressing when the plants started flowering increased the seed protein content significantly by up to 24.4%. Simple and robust technologies, such as high-density planting and topdressing, can be rapidly disseminated for increased cowpea yields and protein content improvement for Burkina Faso and for other countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/199legumescowpeafertilizationseed yieldplanting densityseed protein content |
| spellingShingle | Haruki Ishikawa Benoît Joseph Batieno Christian Fatokun Ousmane Boukar A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa Agriculture legumes cowpea fertilization seed yield planting density seed protein content |
| title | A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa |
| title_full | A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa |
| title_fullStr | A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa |
| title_short | A High Plant Density and the Split Application of Chemical Fertilizer Increased the Grain and Protein Content of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) in Burkina Faso, West Africa |
| title_sort | high plant density and the split application of chemical fertilizer increased the grain and protein content of cowpea i vigna unguiculata i in burkina faso west africa |
| topic | legumes cowpea fertilization seed yield planting density seed protein content |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/2/199 |
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