Effect of plant densities and phosphorus levels on the growth and yield of vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) walp)

A field experiment was conducted at Collegeof Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem to study theeffect of plant density and phosphorus levels on thegrowth and yield of vegetable cowpea under irrigatedconditions. The study revealed that the crop respondedto plant densities as well as phosphorus levels. Thebiometric characters like number of primary branchesper plant (8.52), pod length (21.31 cm), pod girth (12.35mm), number of pods per plant (37.02), number of seedsper pod (16.85), pod weight per plant (10.93 g) and podyield per plant (301.85 g) were higher at lower density(37,037 plants/ha) along with 60 kg P2O5/ha. The growthand yield characters like plant height (52.47 cm), TDMaccumulation (3968.04 kg/ha), days to flowering (34.73days), days to first picking (44.28 days) and pod yield(152.87 q//ha) were showed better expression in caseof high density planting (74,074 plants/ha) along with60 kg P2O5/ha. The interaction effect of plant densitiesand phosphorus levels were also significant on plantheight, total dry matter accumulation and days toflowering, pod length, pod weight per plant, yield perplant and pod yield/ha.