EFFECT OF LOCATION AND TIME OF INTRODUCING COWPEA ON GROWTH PARAMETERS OF COWPEA IN A MAIZE/COWPEA INTERCROP IN SOUTHERN KADUNA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during the 2019 rainy season at the Kaduna State University Teaching and Research Farm, Kafanchan (latitude 9.5833⁰ N and longitude 8.2869⁰ E) located in Jema’a Local Government area and Madakiya, (latitude 9.6899⁰ N and longitude 8.2869⁰ E) located in Zango Kataf Local Government area, all in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The objective was to investigate the growth parameters of cowpea as influenced by time of cowpea introduction to maize/ cowpea intercrop   at two locations in Southern Kaduna. The treatments consisted of four times of introducing cowpea at 8,9,10 and 11 weeks after sowing maize (WASM) and two locations (Kafanchan and Madakiya), laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications, Results revealed that among the parameters measured, location significantly influenced number of pods/plant of cowpea only. However, location and the interaction between time of cowpea introduction and location did significantly affect the growth parameters of cowpea, however, time of cowpea introduction in maize had significant effects on growth parameters of cowpea. It is therefore recommended that Cowpea should be introduced in maize/cowpea intercrop on the 8^th and 9^TH WASM in Madakiya and 10^th and 11^th WASM in Kafanchan as these locations and timings gave significantly better growth than others.