Effect of Placement and Foliar Application of Urea, KCl & Zn (Supplementary Nourishment) on Growth and Yield of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) under Guava (Psidium guajava L.) based Agri-horti System

Aims: To investigate the effect of the placement and foliar application of Urea, KCl & Zinc on growth and yield of cowpea under guava based agri-horti system in Vindhyan region, India.

Study Design: RBD with nine treatments and three replications.

Place and Duration of Study: Agricultural Research Farm, Barkachha, Mirzapur (UP), India during kharif season (June-Oct) of 2017.

Methodology: This experiment consisted nine different treatments viz; Control (T1), 2% Urea spray (T2), 30 kg KCl ha-1 (T3), 2% KCl spray (T4), 2% Urea spray + 2% KCl spray (T5), 5 kg Zn ha-1 (T6), 2% Urea spray + 5 kg Zn ha-1 (T7), 30 kg KCl ha-1+ 5 kg Zn ha-1 (T8), 2% Urea spray + 2% KCl spray + 1.5% Zn spray (T9). Various growth parameter, yield attributes, N, P, K and nutrients contents were recorded and compared.

Results: Significantly higher growth parameters like plant height-1, no of branches plant-1, fresh weight-1 and dry weight-1, yield attributes like number of seeds pod-1, pod length, pod yield plant-1, green pod yield were recorded in 2% Urea spray + 2% KCl spray + 1.5% Zn spray (T9). Maximum N, K and protein content in straw and seed also observed in T9.

Conclusion: foliar spray of 2% Urea + 2% KCl spray + 1.5% Zn spray was best method for supplementary nourishment of cowpea under guava based Agri-horti system. The experiment should be reported for one to two seasons more in order to reach final conclusion.