Effects of Mineral and Organic Fertilization on the Phenology and Yield of Cowpeas (Vigna Unguiculata L.), Grown in Korhogo Region of Northern Côte d'IVOIRE

The yield of cowpeas, despite the crop’s importance in the diet of the populations of northern Côte d'Ivoire, remains very low. This study was initiated with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the production of cowpeas by evaluating the effects of different types of mineral and organic fertilizers in improving the growth and yield characteristics of the said crop. The study was conducted in the municipality of Korhogo, following a Fisher block device, including 4 treatments and 4 replications. The 4 treatments studied included a mineral fertilizer (NPK), two types of organic fertilizer (rabbit and chicken droppings) and the fertilizer-free control. The results showed that the growth and yield characteristics were improved by added NPK and poultry and rabbit droppings. These two types of fertilizers, with average pod productions of 1073.20 kg/ha (NPK), 933.25 kg/ha (chicken droppings) and 910.50 kg/ha (rabbit droppings), gave the best productions. The control, with 426 kg/ha, did not significantly improve the production of cowpeas. In the context where the high price of mineral fertilizers is, very often, a limitation the intensification of crops, this study constitutes a contribution to fertilization through the use of organic fertilizers and adapted to the socio-economic conditions of the region, bearing in mind the low income of farmers.