FIELD PRACTICAL TRAINING

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF COWPEA The precise location of the centre of origin of cowpea species is rather difficult to determine. Previous speculations on the origin and domestication of cowpea had been based on botanical and cytological evidence and information on its geographical distribution, cultural practices and historical records (FAIRS, 1965). It was reported that there have been conflicting theories about the origin of cowpea, but that all scientists agreed it from Africa. Recently some scientist claimed its origin to be from West Africa with its centre of domestication to be from Nigeria, due to the presence of wild progenitors (Singh et al 1997). Cowpea is one of the most important legume crop throughout the tropical Asia , the far east, Africa, Southern Europe, Central and southern America and in southern United States of America. West Africa grows about 64% of the worlds cowpea (Singh et al, 2000) preliminarily in Nigeria and Niger with Significant average in Burkina Faso, Togo Ghana, Benin Republic, Mali and Senegal. About 90% of the cowpea produced in Nigeria is from thenorthern states with Borno, Kano, and Sokoto States as leading producers (Adeniji et al, 1991 and Apeji, 1992) The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has worldwide responsibility to develop improved varieties of cowpeas for use by different international programmes. IITA initiated systematic cowpea research for sole crop in 1971 at Ibadan, Nigeria and established a station in Kano, Nigeria, in 1990 to diversify cowpea research for sole crop as well as intercrop. Through the concerted effort of a multi disciplinary team of scientist a number of improved varieties have been

developed which combine disease and insect resistance with extra early, medium maturity and individual purpose qualities. Cowpea (vigna ungiuculata L.Walp) is a member of the Phaseoleae tribe of the Leguminosea family. Members of the phaseolus include many of the economically important warm season grain and oil seed legumes, such as soybean (Glycine max), common bean (Phaeolus vulgaris), and probably originated from the fact that the plant was an important source of hay for cows in south eastern United State and in other parts of the world. Some important local names include Niebe, ewa, wake in West Africa particularly in Nigeria. In Brazil it is called Caupi. In the United States other names used to describe cowpea include Southern pea, black-eyed peas, field peas, pinkeyes, and crowders. These names reflect traditional seed and market classes that developed over time in the southern United States. 1.2 COWPEA PRODUCTION Based on FAO statistical reports of 2007, 14.5milloin ha is the estimated land area planted to cowpea with the annual yield estimated as 4.5million tone. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 70% of total world production out of which central and West Africa accounts for over 9million ha of the area cultivated to cowpea and 3million tones of production. West Africa is the major cowpea production zone with Nigeria being the largest producer accounting for about 60% of the total world production. Niger republic is the next largest producer followed by Brazil. Other producers in the West African sub-region includes; Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal.

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1.3 UTILIZATION OF COWPEA Cowpea is a major staple food crop in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the dry savanna regions of West Africa. The seeds are a major source of plant proteins and vitamins for man, feed for animals, and also a source of cash income. The young leaves and immature pods are eaten as vegetables. There is a big market for the sale of cowpea grain and fodder in West Africa. In Nigeria, farmers who cut and store cowpea fodder for sale at the peak of the dry season have been found to increase their annual income by 25%. Cowpea also plays an important role in providing soil nitrogen to cereal crops (such as maize, millet, and sorghum) when grown in rotation, especially in areas where poor soil fertility is a problem. It does not require a high rate of nitrogen fertilization; its roots have nodules in which soil bacteria called Rhizobia help to fix nitrogen from the air. The dry pulse contains essential elements as well as 23.4% protein, 1.3% fat, 56.8% carbohydrate, 11% water, 3.9% fibre and 3.6% ash which are very essential for human body.

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CHAPTER TWO LITRATURE REVIEW 2.1 BOTANY AND MORPHOLOGY Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is an important tropical crop and has been classified botanically thus: Kingdom Division: Class: Sub Class: Order: Family: Sub Family: Tribe: Genus: Species - Plantae - Spermatophyta - Angiosperm - Dicotyledon - Rosales - Leguminosae - Papilionoidae - Phaseoleae - Vigna : - unguiculata

Cowpeas can be erect, semi-erect, prostrate (trailing) or climbing annual herbaceous legumes. They have a deep tap root system with numerous spreading laterals in surface soils. Growth habit ranges from indeterminate to fairly determinate. The plant continues to blossom and produce seeds for an extended period. The non-vinyl types tend to be more determinate in blossoming in habit and some improved cultivars blossom over short period. In indeterminate cultivars, flowers and ripe pods are 4

found together on same plant. The flowers are white or purple. Most cultivars produce medium (20cm) to very long (50cm) peduncles, each peduncle producing 2-4 or more pods. The pods are smooth, 15-25cm long, cylindrical and somewhat curved. Each pod may have 8-20 seeds. The seeds are very variable in size, shape and colour (Singh et al, 2000). The cowpea plant is of several types: the even maturing indeterminate types which flower over a long period of time and pods do not mature at the same time. Rain during flowering produces a new flush of flowers while the stem twines or climbs. The even maturing plant determinate plant type grows erect and most of the pods mature at the same time. During flowering, the first flower stalk develops from the middle of the plant in the axil between the leaf and stem. A pod begins to form when the male cell from the pollen unites with the egg in the ovary. Usually, only two flowers on each stalk develop into pods. The cowpea variety (IAR-48) grown for this years (2012/2013) field practical training (FPT) crop sub-programme were medium maturing (80-85 days ), semi erect, with large brown seeds and moderately susceptible to diseases and insect pest. 2.2 ADAPTATION

Cowpea is a warm weather crop which grows best in areas where the minimum temperature is between 23oC and 30oC (night and day) during the growing season (Singh et al 200). Such temperature prevail tropical regions between 12oN to 12oS throughout the year and therefore cowpea can be cultivated year round in these areas, if there is enough moisture. However, in wet-dry tropical regions, farmers grow the crop in rainy season. In regions beyond 1oN and 15oS, the winter becomes increasingly cold and therefore, cowpea is grown in summer season only: but the longer day length cause late flowering in photoperiod sensitive varieties and thus, a full 3-month rainy period is needed for a successful crop (B.B Singh et al, 2000). During the last 6-years, the rains in Northern Guinea savannah and sahelian regions have stopped early causing widespread failures of late maturing local varieties of cowpea which are normally photoperiod-sensitive. Recent experiments and field demonstrations have shown that under the same conditions, early and medium maturing varieties ensure a normal crop. Cowpea can be grown on a 5

wide variety of soils ranging from predominantly sandy to predominantly clay and pH range from 4.58.5. However, best yields are obtained in well drained sandy loam to clay loam soils between pH 6 and 7. Water should never stand in cowpea fields, as cowpeas are highly sensitive to water logging; even 24 hrs of standing water can adversely affect growth (Singh et al 2000). Conversely, cowpea is more tolerant to draught stress than maize and other legumes and it is therefore widely grown in areas with low rainfall and sandy soils such as the sahelian regions of West-Africa.

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CHAPTER THREE MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY 3.1 FIELD LAYOUT AND LAND PREPARATION The field demonstration was carried out on IAR field B2 opposite ABU Staff School Annex, behind NAERLS complex located at samaru on latitude 11o12N and longitude 07037E at an altitude of 680m above sea level. The land was fallowed for two years without cultivation of any kind, the area of the land is 1.55ha. The marked plots were properly prepared, (ploughed, harrowed and ridged to a dimension of about a 100 by 0.75m per row. The soil was of good water holding capacity with good fertility. Prior to sowing, the soil was muddy and water logged owing to poor drainage following rainfall the previous day, this gives an idea of the soils textural characteristics. 3.2 PLANTING MATERIALS A large number of varieties of cowpea are used in production. The varieties are classified based on seed coat colour, size and duration they take to mature. Only one variety (SAMPEA 7 IAR-48) was sown in the 2012/2013 FPT crop production sub-programme which matured about 12-weeks after planting (84 days after planting). The variety combines, among others, characteristics such as medium maturing, semi-erect growth habit, and moderate susceptibility to diseases and insect pest. Choice of a proper variety is the most important factor in crop production. The varieties selected should combine high yield potential, pest resistance, acceptable seed quality, rainfall patterns and cropping systems. The area extension agent or the nearest agricultural research station should be consulted before making the final choice. However, the choice of seeds used for the 2012/2013 was concluded by the programme supervisory team.

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3.3 SOWING

Sowing was done on Friday, the 4th of August, 2012 at about 9.00 am. Smooth coat brown medium sized seeds of cowpea were treated with Apron Star against seed borne pathogens. Sowing was done on prepared ridges at the rate of 2- seeds/hole spaced 30 cm approximately apart. But each hole received more than the recommended rate in order to take care of non-seed germination with the notion that its labour effective to thin than to replant. 3.4 3.4.1 CULTURAL PRACTICES Weeding

First weeding was done on the third week after of sowing 24th August, 2012, due to water lodging on the cowpea farm. Weeds encountered were perennial weeds consisted of; Eleusine Indiana Acanthospernum hispidum Cyperus spp. Cassia mimosodes Cynodon dactylon Setaria barbata Kyllinga spp Crotalaria retusa Ageratum conyzoides Penisetum pedicellatum Tridax procumbens Cassia occidentalis Sporobolus pyramidalis Leucas martinicensis Gompherena celosiodes Sida acuta All these weeds, by virtue of growing together, combine to create the phenomenon described as weediness (Rao, 2006; Ishaya, 2007)

Second weeding was performed at the 9th week after of sowing 6th October, 2012 as well as ridge moulding to give the stands a firm support 3.4.2 Insect Pest and Disease Control For the 2012/2013 FTP crop production sub-programme, for pest and diseases control, seeds were treated with Aprontsar, 1 sachet (10g) 4Kg seed as fungicide and insecticide seed treatment before planting to minimize losses due to seedling mortality and root rots etc. Mancozed 0.5kg in a 15l knapsack sprayer. Spraying was done late morning hours on the 8th November, 2012 which was the first spray . Subsequent sprayings were carried out every week for the next 3 weeks. 3.5 HARVESTING The plants were fully ready for harvest by the 17th week after planting. Harvesting was done manually on the morning of Saturday, the 21st of December, 2012.

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CHAPTER FOUR OBSERVATION AND DISCUSSION 4.1 GERMINATION Little germination were observed three days after sowing given that the field was muddy and because cowpea has an epigeal type of germination, seeds that were buried deep could not emerge. By the first week, a good number of the seeds did not emerge at the posterior part of the field, probably due to deep sowing. Those portions were that received more than two seeds and germinated well were thinned and transplanted to the empty spots while other spots. Due to germination percentage seeds were replanted. Below are some of the breakdowns of the germination percentage observed Day (1- 7 ) after sowing 236 stands germinated 236/500 X 100 = 47.2% Day (1-10) after sowing.359 stands germinated 359/500X 100 = 71.8% After replanting stands that germinated final count were 425/500X100 = 85% 4.2 SEEDLING DEVELOPMENT By the second week, unhealthy seedlings were thinned, while transplanting responded positively, replants emerged gradually. A few days later, replant emergence was 90% successful. Stands with multiple seedlings were reduced to 2 or 3 depending on their apparent healthiness. Out of an expected stand count of 500, 425 emerged successfully which gave a germination percentage of 85% by the end of the 3rd week. 4.3 BUD FORMATION AND ANTHESIS Flower buds were observed by the 6th week, on the 20th of September, 2010. This marked the commencement of the reproductive stage. 50% flowering was achieved on the 7th week (49 DAS).

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4.4 POD FORMATION Pods were formed by the 9th week and progressed through to the 13th week. The pods were fully matured and dried by the 16th week. 4.5 DISEASE AND PEST IDENTIFIED The following diseases were observed on the cowpea plants before the stage of pod formation: Cowpea wilt (Fusarium oxysporium) Scab (Sphaceloma sp) Brown blotch (Colletotriculum capsici) The following insects were also found infesting\attacking the cowpea, both at planting and at pod formation: Microtermes sp (termites) Maruca testulalis ( pod borer) Anoplocnemics curricpes (pod sucking bugs) The high rate of infestation of the crop by pest and diseases is highly due to carry over of their inoculums as a result of continuous cultivation of the field to same crops. 4.6 MATURITY AND HARVEST

The crop was fully matured ready for harvest by the 17th week. Harvest was carried manually on the morning of the 15th 22nd of December, 2012. Of the ridge planted of about 150 m2, a harvest of 1.1kg of the pod and 15kg of cowpea haulm was made. The yield obtained was as result of pest and disease infestation of the whole plot of the FPT cultivated

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CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION 5.1 ACHIEVEMENTS

Although practical knowledge was imparted in the area of seed dressing, sowing, fertilizer application and weed control, but the aim of FTP programme cannot be said to be fully achieved as the students were not really introduced to the intricacies of crop (cowpea) production. The students were also unable to see how the land preparation was carried out. Managerial aspects such as procurement of seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and hired labour were also neglected. Also the students did not gain knowledge on the marketing of the yield. Each student should have been assigned to organize for the procurement of a particular input. 5.2 SUMMARY Cowpea is a crop which can be grown in different ecological zones of the country as it is to wide ranges of soils. The most important problems usually encountered in cowpea production are the spraying in controlling pest and diseases and also labour requirements, especially, during harvest. The result obtained showed that with effective spraying/management, a good yield can be derived from cowpea production. Improved agronomic practices should also be followed. There is good potential of increasing the production of this protein food crop in the country if improved practices are followed, strictly. The crop production sub-programme has been a success, in that it brought the students close to some problems usually encountered in practical crop production in general, and that of cowpea in particular. The programme also afforded the opportunities of knowing how to deal with such problems.

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5.3 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED The muddy textural class affected the growth performance of the crops which resulted in the plant not attaining its full genetic potential because maize does not tolerate water logging condition. Lack of soil analysis to determine the nutrient deficiency of the soil which led to inappropriate fertilizer application. Lack of adequate orientation to the students for proper appreciation of the exercise 5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Soil analysis should be done at least one month prior to planting so that mineral nutrient deficiency can be corrected instead of blank application of fertilizer (practice). 2. The soil of the field should be well pulverized to reduce problems of water logging; good drainage should also be provided. 3. Ridges should be made as high as possible to avoid problems of erosion and submergence of sown seeds. 4. There should be chemical weed control through the provision of herbicides at the initial stage of crop production as cowpea suffers weed infestation. 5. Proper orientation should be given to the student so that they know what to expect and what is expected of them. 6. Supervisors should maintain a strict attitude towards the programme. This will discourage laziness on the part of the student, thereby helping them to learn what is required of them. 5.5 S/NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES Activities Pre-planting operations(Land preparation) Sowing Germination Thinning and transplanting 1st hoe weeding 2nd hoe weeding Flowering (Bud formation and Anthesis) Maturity Harvest Dates 1st 2nd August, 2012. 4th August, 2012. 10thth August, 2012. 24th August, 2012. 24th August, 2012. 6th October, 2012. 22nd September, 2012. 1st December, 2012. 19th December, 2012.

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Costs And Returns Analysis This is actually done in order to assess the profitability of the entire production to ascertain whether the production was at a loss or gain. The profit margin is the difference between the total revenue generated and the total variable costs in monetary value. The various costs include Inputs Seed Fertilizer Chemicals (Insecticide, Herbicide, Fungicide and seed treatment) Water Labour costs: *Land preparation and Weeding Harvesting Threshing spraying Storage costs: Empty bags (12bagsXN140) Phostosin (24tabletsXN40) cost Total 1,680 960 111260 10,500 27,520 4,600 3,500 Cost (N) 14,000 36,000 11,000

1,500

Yield: twelve bags of cowpea were realized and the selling price is N10,000/bag. Therefore the total Revenue generated was 12xN10,000= N120,000. The profit = Total revenue generated-Total variable cost = N120000- N111260 =N8740. The costs were calculated for the entire 2.57ha used and not on individual bases because of the obstruction of the programme by the university strike. 14

REFERENCES Apeji S.A (1988). Pests of cowpea and soya beans in Nigeria; Federal Department of Control services. pp2-20 Bressani R. Cowpea Research, Production and Utilization, (2001) Chap. 28 Wiley and Sons. Ishaya D.B.,(2007). Lecture notes in chemical weed control; AGRN 420. Jackai L.E.N. and C.B. Adana, (1997). Pest management practices in cowpea. A review of Advances in cowpea Research edited by B.B. Singh, Dr. Moham Raj. John, H. M, Inc. New York pp 714 - 721 Kowal, J. and Knabe D.T (1972). An agroclimatological Atlas of Northern Nigeria with explanatory Notes. ABU press. 114-115. Rao V.K.,(2006). Principles of weed science. Vikas publishing house,New Delhi. Singh B.B (1994). Breeding suitable cowpea varieties for west and central African savanna. Pp 79-85. Singh S.R.and Allen D.J. (1985). Cowpea Pests and Diseases. pp 35-40. Singh B.B, S.K. Asante, H. Ajeigbe and S.G. mohammed. (2000). General Guide for cowpeacultivation and seed production;SG (2000) Nigeria projects: Federal ministry of Agriculture. FAO (2000). Sstatistical reports on world cowpea prodcution. I.Y. Dugje et al (2003). farmers guide to cowpea production in west Africa.

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