Agromorphological characterization of Cowpea variety diversity and participatory Identification of contrasting varieties for Intercropping
- Les Cahiers du Centre Africain de Recherche Scientifique, d'Innovation et de Formation (CARESFI) : 73-92
Résumé
Variety choice is an important factor in crop system productivity, particularly in intercropping systems. The aim of our study was to characterize the existing diversity of cowpea varieties and identify those that are most appreciated by farmers and suitable for intercropping system most
commonly practiced by farmers in sudano-sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. A
completely randomized Fisher block experimental design was set up at the
Saria research station for two growing seasons. Twenty-eight cowpea
varieties were evaluated morphologically, phenologically, and
agronomically. A participatory evaluation of the varieties was also carried
out with 25 and 30 farmers during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons,
respectively. The results showed that the varieties characterized were mainly
semi-erect (46.4%) and creeping (32.1%) and had white seeds (64.3%). The
main characteristics differentiating the varieties were grain and biomass
yields, thousand-seed weight, pod length, and cycle length. Three groups of
varieties were thus formed. The participatory evaluation identified 11
varieties based on the farmers' criteria of interest such as productivity, grain
quality, earliness, and pest resistance.
Mots-clés
varietal diversity, cowpea, intercropping, Farmers’ preferences