Abstract:
The field experiment was conducted at the Multipurpose crop nursery, College of
Agriculture Education, of the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and
Entrepreneurial Development Mampong-Ashanti from July to September, 2022. The study
was conducted to determine the effect of different planting distance on performance of two
cultivar of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). The experimental design used was 2 x 3 factorial,
arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three (3) replications. The
treatments were made up of 2 varieties of Cowpea (Tona and Zamzam) and 3 planting
distance (60 cm x 10 cm, 60 cm x 20 cm and 60 cm x 30 cm). The results revealed that
Zamzam planted on 60 cm x 30 cm interaction, emerged earliest (4.67 days), Tona planted
on 60 cm x 10 cm, Zamzam planted on 60 cm x 10 cm and 60 cm x 10 cm spacing emerged
at the same period (5.33 days) whilst Zamzam planted on 60 cm x 20 cm interaction emerged
late (6.33 days). Tona planted on 60 cm x 20 cm and Zamzam planted on 60cm x 30 cm
were earliest to flower (41.00 days) whilst Tona planted on 60 cm x 10 cm were earliest to
pod (45.3 days).Tona produced wider canopy width and higher number of leaves per plant
than zamzam from 6 to 8 WAP, whilst Tona planted on 60 cm x 30 cm interaction produced
significantly (P≤0.05) wider canopy width than on 60 cm x 10 cm interaction. Zamzam
planted on 60 cm x 10 cm produced significantly (P≤0.05) taller plants than Tona planted on
60 cm x10 cm and on 60 cm x 30 cm interaction which produced shortest plants at 4 WAP
and 6 WAP respectively. Planting distance 60 cm x 10 cm produced significantly heaviest
root fresh weight at 8 WAP. Tona planted on 60 cm x 30 cm interaction produced
significantly greatest number of branches per plant at 8WAP. It is therefore recommended
that for high yield of cowpea, farmers are to plant Tona using 60 cm inter row spacing and
either 10 cm, 20 cm or 30 cm intra row spacing for maximum number of branches per plant.
Description:
A DISSERTATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CROP AND SOIL SCIENCES
EDUCATION, FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE EDUCATION,
SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF
EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE
DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE
(CROP SCIENCE)