cowpea (vigna unguiculata (l.) walp) clipping management technology 1: a potential for fodder production, sustained growth and food security in the savannah regions of nigeria.

Cowpea ((Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is a fast growing crop which covers the soil surface and produce large quantities of (organic) plant biomass. It has been difficult to improve the growth and productivity of these varieties of crop. However, it has been observed that if the dual purpose cowpea is cut before senescence, it can regenerate and re-produce good crop growth in the savannah regions of the tropics. Therefore, this study was carried out on the research field of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; During the 2002 – 2005 wet seasons; to evaluate the influence of intra-row spacing, innovative clipping management and time on the growth of dual purpose cowpea. The treatments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated three times. The data was analyzed statistically using the analysis of variance test (ANOVA); and the means compared using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The result of this investigation indicated that number of branches plant-1 and vine length was highest at the closest (15cm) intra-row spacing. While leaf fresh and dry weights plant-1, and stem fresh and dry weights plant-1 were generally higher at 30cm intra-row spacing. Lower number of branches plant-1, stem fresh and dry weights plant-1, and vine length plant-1 were recorded at 64 DAP. Conversely, fresh fodder yield of plots clipped at 74 and 84 DAP were 62% and 59% higher than those of the control (unclipped) plots. On the whole, clipped cowpea showed a 100% potential regenerative capacity. Thus large amounts (15t ha-1) of fresh organic plant material or biomass (clipped fodder) were produced on-farm/in-situ. It can be concluded that the adoption of this innovative clipping management technology could facilitate sustain growth of the cowpea crop and holds a veritable potential towards enhancing the food security situation of the vast majority of these low income and low technology farmers in the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa. Indeed, the large amounts of (organic) plant material or biomass (clipped fodder biomass) produced on-farm could be profitably used for organic soil fertility maintenance and/or improvement or alternatively utilized or sold as animal feed (fodder) to generate and/or supplement family incomes for these low inputs, low technology, resource poor farmers. This underscores the encouraging impact this technology holds as a veritable tool towards improved economic/living conditions of these predominantly poor rural farmers. In this manner, the negative effects of poverty are ameliorated through positive impacts on food insecurity in the region.