Geotemperature and yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) under different dead vegetation cover

Abstract

The present research evaluates how dead vegetation cover affects the geotemperature and yield of cowpea beans (Vigna unguiculata L.). This study is crucial to identify sustainable agricultural practices that improve soil productivity and conservation, thus contributing to food security and climate change mitigation. A Latin square design was implemented considering the following dead plant covers as treatments: rice chaff (T1), sawdust (T2), corn husks (T3) and no cover (T0). The morphological data of the crop were collected and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods to determine the significance of the results. The findings show that dead vegetation covers help maintain a more stable soil temperature compared to the control. In addition, T1 and T2 treatments were the most beneficial, increasing crop yield to 714.67 and 718.44 kg per hectare, respectively. It is concluded that plant covers such as rice chaff and sawdust are a viable alternative to conserve moisture and improve cowpea bean productivity. However, future research should explore the application of mulch in other crops and under different climatic conditions in order to generalize these findings.

Keywords: Vegetation covers, Yield, Cowpea beans, Geotemperature, Productivity.