Effect of Agro-ecological Zones on the Agronomic Performance of Cowpea in the Central African Republic

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a legume cultivated and consumed in the Central African Republic. Few studies have been carried out on cowpea in the Central African Republic. For this reason, four local accessions (Kahkir, Gbarah, Aie-toung and Bambalassa) collected in different localities were evaluated at three different sites. Yield squares were laid out according to randomized block design with four replications. These accessions were selected on the basis of quantitative parameters such as height, growth, number of pods, weight of pods (g), pod yield, haulm yield and seed yield. The data was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results show that the seed yield, pod yield and haulm yield are statistically different among the four accessions studied. The emergence rate of all accessions was over 75%. The analysis of variance showed that height of the plants are significantly different compared to the study areas (p < 0.05). The study showed that all accessions were susceptible to viral diseases with a prevalence of more than 50 to 98%. The analysis showed that the Kahkir and Gbarah accessions were the best in pod, seed and biomass production and that the most productive sites were that of M'Baïki.