Integrated Nutrient Management Practices on Growth, Yield Attributes and Quality of Cowpea (Vingna unguiculata L.)

Abstract

An investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) on growth, yield, and quality of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). The field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2022 at the Research Farm of the Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture Science, Technology & Research, Sardar Patel University, Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications to minimize experimental error and to ensure uniformity of soil and environmental conditions. A total of eight treatments comprising different combinations of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) and organic manures were evaluated under the integrated nutrient management approach. The application of nutrients through integrated sources significantly influenced the growth, yield attributes, yield, and quality parameters of cowpea. Among the different treatments, T₅ (100% RDF + 2 tonnes FYM ha⁻¹) recorded superior performance in terms of plant height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and seed yield per hectare. The enhanced growth under this treatment may be attributed to the balanced and sustained supply of nutrients from both inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure, which improved soil physical condition, nutrient availability, microbial activity, and overall plant vigor. In addition to yield improvement, treatment T₅ also resulted in the highest benefit–cost (B:C) ratio, indicating better economic returns compared to other treatments. The integration of FYM with chemical fertilizers not only reduced dependency on sole inorganic fertilizers but also improved nutrient use efficiency, leading to higher productivity and profitability. Overall, the study clearly demonstrated that integrated nutrient management involving 100% RDF in combination with 2 t FYM ha⁻¹ is an effective and economically viable nutrient management strategy for cowpea cultivation under the agro-climatic conditions of Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh. This approach can be recommended for sustainable cowpea production with improved growth, yield, quality, and soil health.