Low grain yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) undermines its potential as a source of vegetable protein, staple and food security crop in Africa. Among factors militating against increased cowpea production is poor seed quality resulting from storage under warm and humid environments under farmers' circumstances, where over 95% of seeds are produced. Seed storage experiment was conducted at Kwadaso in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Two popular cowpea seeds in Ghana, a pigmented (IT82E-32) and an unpigmented (IT81D-1951), were stored at 8%mc/10 ºC, 8%mc/26 ºC, 12%mc/10 ºC and 12%mc/26 ºC for 13 months, after which seed quality and field performance were assessed. Seed vigour (as indicated by decreasing percentage germination, vital staining and increasing levels of electrical conductivity, P and K contents of leachate), seedling emergence, number of plants harvested and grain yield decreased in the order of 8%mc/10 ºC, 12%mc/10 ºC, 8%mc/26 ºC and 12%mc/26 ºC, with the white-seeded variety, suffering the most deterioration and agronomic performance particularly at 12%mc/26 ºC. The mean grain yields of 1.50, 1.29, 1.44, and 0.52 t ha-1 for 8%mc/10 ºC, 12%mc/10 ºC, 8%mc/26 ºC and 12%mc/26 ºC respectively observed, provided options among the first three treatments for seed storage, depending on facilities available, the value of the seed and period of storage. Agronomic performances, including grain yields were better in the transition zone than in the forest and also better in the minor season than the major season. Correlation coefficients indicated highly dependence of grain yield on number of seedlings and plants harvested, which intend depended on the seed vigour indices, ecology and season.
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) provides nutritional, economic and health benefits. Ghana has introduced the first four commercial varieties for adoption. Maintaining seed quality in storage is challenged in the humid regions due to high temperature and high relative humidity. The study determined the interactive effects of seed moisture content (MC) and packaging material on quality of seeds stored for 8 months and subsequent seed yield and yield related components. A 2x2 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used, replicated three times. Seeds were dried to 8 and 11% MC, kept in polythene bags and plastic containers and stored for 8 months under ambient and cold conditions. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) for plant stand at two weeks after planting, days to first and fifty percent flowering, chlorophyll content, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and seed yield. Leaf area index of plants developed from seeds dried to 8% MC and packed in polythene bags were significantly higher than the other interaction effects. The lowest plant stand was observed in plants developed from seeds dried to 11% MC and packed in plastic containers. 1000SW of seeds dried to 11% MC and packaged in plastic containers were 32.77% higher than in seeds dried to 8% MC and packaged in plastic containers. The Ennepa common bean seeds can be dried to 11% MC and packaged in polythene bags and stored for 8 months without significant seed deterioration.
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