Response of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.) to simulated damage on flower and pod in Sahel Savannah of Nigeria

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri Teaching and Research Farm in 2014 to determine the responses of cowpea to simulated damage on flowers and pods. Cowpea variety IT98k-131-2 was sown to 4m² plot laid in a randomized complete block design. The trial was conducted in three separate experiments; experiment 1 consists of four treatments (removal of 25, 50 and 75% of flowers and a control), experiment 2 (removal of 25, 50 and 75% of pod and a control) and experiment 3 (complete removal of flower and pod at 7, 14 and 21 days from anthesis and a control). Parameters measured include number of seeds per pod, pod per plant, pod weight, 100 seed weight and grain yield. Results revealed that, removing up to 50% of either flowers or pods had no effect on the parameters measured. Similarly, continuous removal of flowers and pods for up to second week after anthesis had no effect on all the parameters measured either. However, when 75% of flowers or pods were removed at peak flowering and pod stages, grain yield was significantly reduced. Consequently, severe damage to flowers and pods in the 21 days after anthesis could affect grain yield. Therefore, if insecticide must be applied, it should be applied in the third week after anthesis i.e. late-flowering and early pod filling stages.