GROWTH AND YIELD OF COWPEA AS AFFECTED BY TOP CUTTING AND SUPPLEMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the period from 19 November, 2016 to 5 April 2017 to study the effect of top cutting and supplemental management on flower droppings, growth and yield of cowpea. The experiment was carried out by two top cutting T 1 = Top cutting and T 2 = No top cutting and seven supplemental managements as M 0 = Control i.e. Normal cultivation; M 1 = Urea spray before flowering; M 2 = TSP spray before flowering; M 3 = MoP spray before flowering, M 4 = NPK spray before flowering, M 5 = Irrigation before flowering and M 6 = Cytokinin spray before flowering on cowpea. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications. Data on different growth parameters, yield attributes and yield were significantly varied for different parameters. The highest dry weight (25.58 g plant -1 ) and higher pod remaining (42.36%) was found from the top cutting of cowpea whereas, 1000-seed weight (117.17 g) and seed yield (1.51 t ha -1 ) in no top cutting of cowpea. The supplemental application of MoP (M 3 ) before flowering stage resulted higher dry weight plant -1 (30.83 g) and seeds pod -1 (12.70) from irrigation (M 5 ) before flowering. The highest seed yield (1.84 t ha -1 ) was given by supplemental TSP (M 2 ) spray before flowering. The highest flower (67.41%) was revealed in T 1 (top cutting with supplemental irrigation before flowering) and the highest pod droppings (33.68%) was attained in T 0 M 0 (no top cutting with control; normal cultivation). Supplemental application of NPK gave the lowest total dropping (41.15%). Top cutting with application of TSP before flowering resulted the highest seed yield (1.98 t ha -1 ). The lowest seed yield (0.96 t ha -1 ) was found in top cutting with supplemental MoP spray during reproductive phase.