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Effect of Root Temperature on Growth and Seed Yield in Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata)*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2017

F.R. Minchin ,
P.A. Huxley  and
R.J. Summerfield
F.R. Minchin
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of ReadingShinfield Grange, Shinfield, Reading
P.A. Huxley
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of ReadingShinfield Grange, Shinfield, Reading
R.J. Summerfield
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of ReadingShinfield Grange, Shinfield, Reading
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Extract

The effects of different soil temperature regimes on vegetative growth, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and seed yield of two cowpea cultivars (K 2809 and Prima) were investigated in experiments carried out in plastic houses during the UK summer. Mean maximum soil temperatures above 32°C significantly reduced vegetative growth of both cultivars, through their effects on branch, peduncle and root dry weight per plant and, to a lesser extent, leaf production. The warmest temperature regime (35.4°C) also reduced nodule activity, especially in cv. Prima. Seed yields were adversely affected, due largely to changes in the number of peduncles per plant, as mean maximum soil temperature increased from 25.8 to 35.4°C.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , July 1976 , pp. 279 - 288
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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Footnotes

†

Present address: University of Dar-es-Salaam, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, P.O. Box 643, Morogoro, Tanzania.

*

Publication from a collaborative project with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria, sponsored by UK Ministry for Overseas Development.

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