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Agronomic and economic benefits of integrated nutrient management options for cowpea production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2020

Bachir Bounou Issoufa ,
Ali Ibrahim Open the ORCID record for Ali Ibrahim [Opens in a new window]  and
Robert Clement Abaidoo
Bachir Bounou Issoufa
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana Science and Technology Research Centre (STRECE), BP: 436, Niamey8000, Niger
Ali Ibrahim*
Affiliation:
Africa Rice Centre (AfricaRice), Sahel Station, BP: 96, Saint Louis, Senegal
Robert Clement Abaidoo
Affiliation:
Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, PMB 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria
*
*Corresponding author. Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]
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Abstract

The limitation of soil amendments and insufficient and irregular rainfall are the main factors accounting for the decline in crop yields in the Sahelian low-input cropping systems. This study explored the agronomic and economic responses of integrated use of millet glume-derived compost with synthetic fertilizer in cowpea-based cropping system. A two-year field experiment was laid out as factorial design arranged in randomized complete blocks with three rates of compost (0, 4000, and 8000 kg ha−1) and three rates of recommended synthetic fertilizer (0, 50, and 100%). Cowpea grain yield increased markedly with combined application of compost and synthetic fertilizer. The combined use of compost applied at 8000 kg ha−1 and 50% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer increased cowpea grain yield by 51% compared to the application of 100% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer. The rainwater use efficiency (RaUE) increased by 52 and 49% with the combined application of compost at 8000 kg ha−1 along with 50% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer when compared to the application of 100% of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer in 2013 and 2014, respectively. All treatments induced a positive net income, and the highest value/cost ratio was achieved with combined application of compost and synthetic fertilizer. This study highlights the possibility of improving cowpea productivity through combined use of composted locally available organic input with half of the recommended rate of synthetic fertilizer. This combination would reduce the investment in mineral fertilizer currently made by smallholder farmers in the Sahelian low-input cowpea cropping system and reduce environmental pollution resulting from the current practice of burning the millet glume.

Keywords

CompostingAgronomic efficiencyYieldsEconomic returnCowpea
Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 56 , Issue 3 , June 2020 , pp. 440 - 452
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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