INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF PHOTOPERIODISM ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF Vigna unguiculata GROWN WITH BIOFERTILIZER AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER IN EARLY AND LATE RAINY SEASONS
*NGWOKE, C.A., OMONIGHO, S. E. AND OGEDEGBE, S. A.
ABSTRACT
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is a vital legume crop in many tropical regions, including Nigeria.
Photoperiodism, which is the response of plants to the length of light and darkness, significantly affects cowpea growth and yield and plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development. This study investigated the impact of photoperiodism on the growth and yield of Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) grown with a combination of biofertilizer and inorganic fertilizer (single superphosphate) in early and late rainy seasons. The experiment was conducted in a screenhouse, where the pots were arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replicates, two natural photoperiod treatments (10, and 14 hours of light), two fertilizer treatments (biofertilizer + inorganic fertilizer, and control) and three varieties of cowpeas (IT89KD-391, ITK-593-1-1, and…….