EFFECTS OF SEED SIZE AND SOWING DEPTH ON THE GERMINATION OF COWPEA( BROWN EYED BEANS, BLACK EYE BEANS, BROWN COLOURED BEANS)

Cowpea is an erect to sub-erect, or prostrate, climbing, glabrous, annual herb. The stems are somewhat square and ripped, often with violent nodes (Ton and Koop, 2018). It belongs to the family Fabaceae, it is one of the most ancient crops known to man. Cowpea is botanically known as Vigna unguiculata L., (Walp.) which in older references may be identified as Vigna sinensis. The results of this study indicate that among the three cowpea varieties planted (brown eyed beans, black eyed beans, and brown beans), the brown beans exhibited the highest germination rate. Recent studies have shown that different cowpea varieties can exhibit varying levels of germination and seedling vigor (Ogunremi et al., 2020; Singh et al., 2020). The brown beans' superior germination performance may be attributed to their inherent genetic characteristics, such as higher seed coat permeability or more efficient seed reserve mobilization (Adeyemo et al., 2018). Current research suggests that seed coat color can influence germination rates, with some studies indicating that lighter-colored seeds (such as brown beans) may germinate more quickly than darker-colored seeds (such as black eyed beans) (Ojo et al., 2020).