EVALUATION OF COWPEA VARIETIES UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION SCHEDULES

ANKITA, NEELAM*, SATPAL AND ANIL KUMAR
Department of Agronomy
CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail: berkesia.neelam@gmail.com)
(Received : 10 December 2023; Accepted : 23 December 2023)

SUMMARY

A field experiment entitled “Evaluation of cowpea varieties under different irrigation schedules during summer season” was carried out during summer season, 2022 at the Research area of Forage Section Research Farm, Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University. The experimental treatment consisted of combination of three irrigation schedules viz. at 7, 11 and 15 days interval and four cowpea varieties viz. RC 101, GC 1601, PGCP 24 and HC 46. The experiment was laid out in split plot with three replications on sandy loam soil having pH 7.9, EC 0.32 dS/m and organic carbon 0.46% with low available nitrogen (125 kg/ ha), medium phosphorus (13.5 kg/ha) and medium potassium (290 kg/ha) status. Maximum no. of pods per plant (22.28), pod length (13.38), no. of seeds per pod (13.08), seed index (10.15) and seed yield (904 kg/ha) was recorded under irrigation at 11 days interval which was at par with irrigation at 15 days interval but superior over 7 days irrigation interval. Seed yield at irrigation schedule 11 days interval was 3.6 % and 36 % higher as compared to seed yield under 15 and 7 days interval. Significantly higher protein content in both seed and straw with respective values of 23.57 and 11.81% was reported under irrigation scheduling at 15 days interval. Among varieties, maximum no. of pods per plant (25.14) in GC 1601, pod length (15.34 cm), no. of seeds per pod (13.53), seed index (11.84g) in PGC 24 and seed yield (937 kg/ha) in GC1601 were recorded, respectively. Maximum protein content was recorded in variety GC 1601 (23.44 & 11.69%) which was at par with variety PGCP 24 (23.42 & 11.65%) and HC 46 (23.28 and 11.54%) with respective seed and straw protein content.

Key words: Cowpea, varieties, irrigation scheduling, seed yield and protein

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