STRATEGY USED TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY OF USING THE NTROGEN IN COWPE BEAN CROPPING

Abstract

In the Northeast of Brazil, beans (Vigna unguiculata) are an essential food in the diet of the population, becoming the staple food of the lower income classes, and fertigation appears as a promising option due to its high efficiency in the use of water and energy. The objective of this experiment was to analyze the performance of cowpea subjected to different conditions of nutrient splitting via fertigation that allow for an improved understanding of the crop's response and the definition of its water and nutritional requirements. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Campus of Engineering and Agrarians Sciences of the Federal University of Alagoas. The statistical design used was a 3x2 factorial scheme with 4 replications. To evaluate growth and production, data collections of plant height and number of leaves were performed periodically at the following times: 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 days after planting. The number of pods per plant, weight of pods per plant, weight of grains per pod, fresh mass of the aerial part and dry mass of the aerial part were evaluated at 75 days after planting. The division of nitrogen doses in its development cycle proved to be efficient in the strategy of maximizing nitrogen use through application via fertigation. The dose of 30 kg ha-1 showed the greatest effect on the number of leaves at 30 days after planting.