Department of Plant Sciences

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://repository.chuka.ac.ke/handle/123456789/150

Browse

Browsing Department of Plant Sciences by Subject "cowpea production"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effect of goat manure and pearl millet mulch on soil moisture and fertility on growth and yield of selected cowpea varieties in Tharaka South sub-county
    (Chuka University, 2025) Nthiga Robert Gikunda
    Cowpea acts as source of high quality protein, carbohydrates, calcium, iron and vitamins. In Kenya, cowpea is used for income generation and a key pillar in food and nutrition security among smallholder farmers. However, cowpea production has declined by 19% due to moisture stress caused by unreliable rainfall. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of goat manure and pearl millet mulch on soil moisture and fertility, growth and yield on selected cowpea varieties in Tharaka South, Sub-County. A survey was conducted in Tharaka South Sub-County on cowpea farming practices. A field experiment was carried out at Tharaka University demonstration farm during rains of October 2023 to January 2024 and March to June 2024 seasons. The experiment employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in a split-plot arrangement, with three replications. Three cowpea varieties served as the main plots, while goat manure and pearl millet stubble mulch were assigned as subplots as treatments. Survey data were analysed using SPSS, while experimental data was analysed using SAS® 9.4. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted, with means compared at a 5% significance level via LSD (α=0.05). Experimental data collected included soil moisture content, pH, nutrient levels (N, P, K, Ca, C, Na, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn), plant height, stem girth, number of branches, leaf area, leaf area index, flowers, pods, grains, and grain weight. The findings indicated pearl millet mulch and goat manure had a significant (p<0.05) effect on soil moisture, C, N, Ca, Mg, plant height, stem girth, number of branches, number of flowers, pods, grains and grain weight as compared to a control treatment with no inputs. The survey revealed that the major challenges in cowpea production are moisture stress (65%) and soil degradation (30%) and the most preferred cowpea varieties were M66 (44%), KVU 27-1 (36%), and K80 (14%), 65% keeping livestock and crop production, 62% planted seeds from previous harvest, 30% from market and 8% from agro-dealers. Highest soil N (0.69%) and C (1.33%), K (1.94 Cmol kg-1) was recorded in trial I and P (154.4 ppm) recorded in trial II, and control N (0.12%) and C (0.88%), K (1.06 Cmol kg-1) was recorded in trial II and P (12.37 ppm) in trial I. Pearl millet mulch gave the highest moisture percentage of 27.7% at 7 DAS in trial II, plant height of 37.46 cm at 56 DAS in trial two compared to control with moisture percentage of 26.23% at 7 DAS and plant height of 13.33 cm at 56 DAS in trial II. Number of flowers, pods and grains were highest under goat manure at 36.08, 33.08 and 18.33 in trial I, I and II at 49, 56 and 75 DAS, respectively for M66 variety. Yield was highest under goat manure at 4625 kgs per hectare at harvesting compared to control with 1958 kgs per hectare in trial I. The findings recommend the application of goat manure and pearl millet mulch as an effective, sustainable strategy to enhance cowpea yields, improve soil health, and support the livelihoods of farmers in arid and semiarid regions.