Département de Biologie et Physiologie végétales, Unité de formation et de recherche en sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Université de Ouagadougou, 03 BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp), a legume with high nutritional value, is widely consumed by West African populations. In Burkina Faso, its yields in rural areas are relatively low due in particular to the perpetuation of old farming methods and especially the low level of soil fertility. The study aims to evaluate the effect of three types of organic manure on the agro-morphological parameters of cowpea. An experimental design in completely randomized blocks with four treatments (T0 = control without organic manure; T1 = cattle dung; T2 = poultry droppings; T3 = sheep dung) and four repetitions was used. The results showed that the weight of 100 seeds did not vary under the influence of the types of fertilizers compared to the control treatment. However, the total number of seeds produced per plant was significantly higher (p˂0.001) under the T2 treatment (102±3 seeds). As for the T1 and T3 treatments, they led to the lowest values of this parameter (respectively 69±4 and 65±4 seeds).
Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp, is an important seed legume in tropical and sub-tropical regions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its wide adaptation and importance, cowpea productivity is generally very low due to numerous biotic and abiotic constraints. In Burkina Faso, climatic hazards accentuate drought, which limits cowpea production. The aim of this study is to determine the water regime and periods of the year suitable for cold dry-season cultivation of cowpea varieties. To this end, two cowpea varieties (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) KN1 and KVX 61.1 were grown in six (06) liter pots in a real environment, during the cold period of the year. Trials were separated by an interval of fifteen (15) days. Each variety was subjected to three watering frequencies. During the study, environmental, growth and agronomic parameters were determined. The study revealed that in cold periods, low temperatures and the application of water regimes reduced most agronomic parameters in both cultivars. Nevertheless, KVX 61.1 produced throughout the study period, while KN1 did not flower when sown from December 09 onwards. The KN1 variety can be sown before December 9 for pod production during the cold off-season, and after that date for its tops, which rich in beneficial elements for livestock are feed. For these two varieties, watering every other day is the best watering regime to ensure good growth and better pod production. These results will serve as an indicator of period and variety for cold dry-season pod and leaf production of these cowpea varieties.
Yam is a tuber cultivated mainly in West Africa. Its culture faces biological and non-biological constraints of climatic types especially. The increasingly high temperatures as well as the bad spatio-temporal distribution accentuate the aridity of the grounds which considerably disturb the development even the production of yam. The objective of this study was to compare the morphophysiological adaptation responses of yam morphotypes subjected to water stress and to determine the portion of the seedling and the water regime suitable for a cultivation of yam in semi-arid zones. even arid. To do this, two morphotypes of yam «waogo» (Dioscorea alata) and «nyù» (D. cayenensis - D. rotundata complex) were grown in pots in real conditions. The tubers of each morphotype were divided into three portions and then subjected to three water regimes. Environmental and morphophysiological parameters were noted during the study.For all the parameters studied, the results show that the «nyù» is more tolerant of water deficit than the «waogo» with a larger root biomass and leaf area and lower transpiration. This study reveals that depending on the portion of the seed used and water regime, «nyù» and «waogo» have differentiated behaviors.