Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T16:37:27.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Assessment of components in a set of management practices for the wet-season production of vegetable cow pea in Trinidad

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. A. I Brathwaite
Affiliation:
Department of Crop Science, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

Summary

Experiments were conducted in association with farmers during 1977, 1978 and 1979 on a River Estate sandy loam at Valsayn and on a Cunupia clay loam at Piarco, Trinidad, to assess the relative importance of components in a set of practices for wetseason production of ‘yellow shell’ pods of ‘blackeye’ type of cow pea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.). Though the response of the cow pea growth, yield and seed quality characteristics were similar at both locations, crop performance was consistently better at Valsayn and was attributed to more favourable soil conditions and to a lower incidence of pests (mainly Ceratoma beetles), cow pea severe mosaic virus, and weeds. Overall, it was found that pest control was the most important management factor, accounting for a mean yield increase of 144%. The adoption of the improved cultivar, California Blackeye No. 5, increased yield by 77%. Other inputs resulting in significant yield increases were, in order of magnitude, weed control (40%), roguing of mosaic infected plants (37%) and high plant density of 110000 plants/ha (23%). A fertilizer treatment did not significantly increase yield. The results suggest that adoption of the insect control treatment by farmers in their cultivation of an improved cultivar sown at high plant density, the use of herbicide and roguing of mosaic infected plants have practical potential and would be economically justified for the production of high yields and good quality ‘yellow shell’ pods of vegetable cow pea for processing.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brathwaite, R. A. I. (1978). Chemical weed control in bodie bean in Trinidad. PANS 24, 177180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brathwaite, R. A. I. (1979). Weed control in grain legumes. In Proceedings of the Regional Workshop on Tropical Grain Legumes, 1979. The University of the West Indies, Trinidad (in the Press).Google Scholar
Brathwaite, R. A. I. (1982). Bodie bean responses to changes in plant density. Agronomy Journal 74, (in the Press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carr, T. W. A. & Caines, M. C. (1968). Wet season trials with southern peas (Vigna sinensis) and lima beans (Phaseoltts lunatus). Proceedings of the Caribbean Food Crops Society 6, 4548.Google Scholar
Chenery, E. M. (1952). The Soils of Central Trinidad. Trinidad Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Dale, W. T. (1943). Preliminary studies of the plant viruses of Trinidad. Tropical Agriculture (Trinidad) 20, 228235.Google Scholar
Dale, W. T. (1949). Observations on a virus disease of cowpea in Trinidad. Annals of Applied Biology 36, 327332.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Jager, C. P. (1979). Cow pea severe mosaic virus. Commonwealth Mycological Institute/Association of Applied Biologists Descriptions of Plant Viruses No. 209.Google Scholar
Haque, S. Q. (1974). Status of virus diseases of horticultural crops in the Commonwealth Caribbean. In Crop Protection in the Caribbean (ed. Brathwaite, C. W. D., Phelps, R. H. and Bennett, F. D.), pp. 3140. Trinidad: The University of the West Indies.Google Scholar
Haque, S. Q. (1979). Status of virus diseases of grain legumes in the Commonwealth Caribbean. In Proceedings of the Regional Workshop on Tropical Grain Legumes, 1979. The University of the West Indies, Trinidad (in the Press).Google Scholar
Hong, T. D., Minchin, F. R. & Summerfield, R. J. (1977). Recovery of nodulated cowpea plants [Vigna xvnguiculata (L.) Walp.] from waterlogging during vegetative growth. Plant and Soil 48, 661672.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (1974). Grain Legume Improvement Program. Annual Report International Institute of Tropical Agriadture, Nigeria for 1973.Google Scholar
Nangju, D. (1977). Critical management factors in food legume production. Tropical Grain Legume Bulletins, 8, 51.Google Scholar
Nangju, D., Nwanze, K. F. & Singh, S. R. (1979). Planting date, insect damage and yield of cowpea in Western Nigeria. Experimental Agriculture 15, 289298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parasram, S. (1973). Control of insect pests of some food crops in the Caribbean. The University of the West Indies, Department of Agricultural Extension Bulletin 7.Google Scholar
Searl, S. B., Brathwaite, R. A. I. & Skinner, E. (1979). An approach to the development of a food crop for processing: the case of wet season California No. 5 blackeye peas. In Proceedings of the Regional Workshop on Tropical Grain Legumes, 1979. The University of the West Indies, Trinidad (in the Press).Google Scholar
Smith, G. D. (1974). Report on the study of the correlation of the soils of the former British territories in the West Indies. Trinidad: The University of the West Indies.Google Scholar
Thomas, S. F. (1977). A model for programming the harvest of wet season yellow mature blackeye peas. Proceedings of the Caribbean Food Crops Society 15 (in the Press).Google Scholar
Thompson, V. S. (1977). Studies on resistance to cowpea mosaic virus in selected varieties of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. M.Sc. thesis, the University of the West Indies, Trinidad.Google Scholar
Thompson, V. S. (1979). Laura B, a new cowpea variety resistant to cowpea mosaic virus. Ministry of Agriculture, Jamaica. Leaflet.Google Scholar
Van Emden, H. F. (1980). Insects and mites of legume crops. In Advances in Legume Science (ed. Summerfield, F. J. and Bunting, A. H.), pp. 187197. London: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Google Scholar
Wein, H. C. (1977). IITA's Grain Legume Physiology Program: Research Highlights. Tropical Grain Legume Bulletin 8, 50.Google Scholar