Nodulation and Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation of Cowpea Genotypes as Affected by Fertilizer Nitrogen

Intercropping with legumes and non‐legumes is commonly practiced in many parts of the world to maximize productivity per unit area of land. In India, cowpea [Vigna unguiculate (L.) Walp] is a popular pulse legume component of intercropping farming systems. Often, however, potential production is compromised, particularly in high fertilizer input systems, because legume component competes with the non‐legume component of the system for nitrogen (N) in the soil. An experiment was conducted in order to identify lines of cowpea that could obtain the majority of their nitrogen requirements from symbiotic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen rather than from uptake of soil nitrogen. Twenty‐nine genotypes of cowpea were screened for tolerance to (applied) nitrogen in soil in field condition. The parameters used to appraise tolerance were extent of root nodulation, the amount of nitrogen fixed, nitrate reductase activity (NR) in roots and nodules, and nitrite content of roots and nodules. There were two nitrogen treatments applied as urea, 40 kg N per ha (N40), and 120 kg N per ha (N120). There were three genotypes whose nitrogen‐fixing effectiveness was apparently unimpaired by applications of nitrogen to the soil. Genotype EC‐170442‐3 nodulated and fixed atmospheric nitrogen satisfactorily at higher levels of applied nitrogen. At N40, genotypes EC‐244390 and EC‐240900 formed a great abundance of large nodules effective in nitrogen fixation; even at N120, EC‐240900 had better symbioses than the majority of the 29 cowpea lines originally screened. These three genotypes are deemed worthy of further examination for their suitability for intercropping systems. How this might be achieved is discussed.