EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF DIFFERENT COWPEA VARIETIES (VIGNA UNGUICULATE L.) IN KANO STATE

ABSTRACT Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) is an important grain legume, a major staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the dry savannah regions of West Africa. This research focuses on the performance of growth and yield of cowpea, aiming review the performance on different cowpea varieties. Systematic review survey was conducted. 23 published case studies were reviewed on the performances, effect of fertilizer and effect of spacing on growth and yield of cowpea based on plant height, pods per plant, number of leaves, seed per pod, pod length and pod weight seeds, the study finds out that highest performance was achieved with 35.5g pod weight. In terms of spacing, using a configuration of 40cm spacing resulted in 13.23 seeds per pod. Additionally, applying phosphorus source fertilizer at 45kg/ha resulted in 14.93 seeds per pod. The study also reveals the factors that affect cowpea production in Nigeria among of which includes insect and pest attacks, inappropriate application of pesticide and other chemicals, low adaptation of improves cowpea varieties, high cost of fertilizer, storage and improper agronomy practice. It also reveals the modern techniques to improve cowpea yield and growth performance which includes optimal plant population, plant configuration, nutrients management, and intergraded pest management. The study recommended that agronomy practice should be carried out such as soil test, variety selection, application of fertilizer pest and disease control for improving yield and growth cowpea varieties.