Comparative growth analysis, yield and quality of two cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.)) lines propagated by seed and stem cuttings

Abstract

In the present study, a field experiment was carried out to evaluate and compare the effects of seed planting and stem cutting method of propagation on two cowpea lines (IT07K-243-1-2 and IT07K-298-15). Data assessed were subjected to student t-test to test for the significant effect of the two methods at p < 0.05. Results showed that growth characters such as plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, above-ground dry mass, leaf area index, leaf area ratio, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate and crop growth rate were significantly enhanced in seed propagation method compared to stem cutting. The yield components such as number of matured pods per plant, pod mass per plant, pod length, pod circumference, pod filling, hundred (100) seed mass, seed mass per plant, average number of seed per pod, harvest index and pod yield per metre square followed similar pattern as recorded for growth characters. Germination potential of the harvested seeds as well as vigour were better in seed planting than stem cutting. Varietal difference showed that line IT07K-298-15 had higher growth, yield and germination potential than IT07K-243-1-2. However, the protein, fat and carbohydrate contents of the latter were higher than the formal. The study concluded that the use of true seed promoted higher productivity. However, planting of stems could still be encouraged on account of a non-significant difference in some of the aforementioned attributes, thereby limiting over-reliance on seed as the main source of planting material for propagating the cowpea lines.