Effect of Time of Sowing, Spacing and Seed Rate on Seed Yield and Quality of Fodder Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]

摘要

Cowpea is an important fodder legume grown during kharif season. It is mainly grown for fodder either pure or in mixture with graminaceous fodders like maize, sorghum and teosinte so as to enrich the nutritive value due to its higher protein content.Besides, it also improves the fertility of the soil that may reduce the nitrogen requirement of the companion or succeeding crop in rotation. Seed is the most important component in fodder crop production programme. Since most of the fodder crops are harvested for green fodder before flowering stage or before seed maturity, the provision of seed every time in forage production programmes becomes a difficult practice. There is also lack of information on seed production of fodder cowpea. Keeping this background in view, the present investigation was carried out to determine the optimum time of sowing, spacing and seed rate for higher seed production and quality of fodder cowpea seeds.