Abstract
The present study was carried out at the Experiment Station, Burirhat,
Rangpur from March, 1985 to May, 1991 to identify (a) a suitable cultivar(s) of
cowpea, (b) to optimize/improve the basic agronomic management of the selected
cultivar and (c) develop a suitable storage method to reduce post-harvest losses. Of the
five cultivars/lines used, Hathazari local cultivar Fallon was the best cultivar that
yielded the highest (1,866.00 kg grains/ha) when seeded in mid-November. The plant
density of 100,000 plants/ha (spacing of 20cm x 50cm - between plants and rows
respectively) produced the maximum grain yield of 2,003.00 kg/ha. Of the 12
treatments, fertilizer dose N20 P75 K60 S20 Zng kg/ha gave the highest grain yield of
2,023.00 kg/ha. This crop can be harvested at a time at 150 days after seeding (DAS)
to obtain maximum quantity of mature seeds (1,830.00 kg/ha). The seeds can be stored
in polythene bags for sowing in next season or for home consumption. Minimum
losses of seeds picked at 130, 140, 150 and 160 DAS were observed when stored in
polythene bags (3.5 to 4.0%) followed by biscuit tins (4.0 to 5.0%) compared to
bamboo-made dooly without smearing with cowdung, bamboo-made dooly smearing
with cowdung and steel drums. The seeds picked at 150 DAS and stored in polythene
bags retained good germination (88.20%) even after 5 months of storage. Protein
contents of seeds picked at 150 DAS varied from 18.41 to 18.80% in polythene bags
and 18.24 to 18.79% in biscuit tins, during the 5-month storage period.
For the maximum grain yield, cowpea should be planted in mid-November at a
density of 100,000 plants/ha and fertilizer dose N20P75K60 kg/ha in the sandy loam
soils of Tista Meander Floodplain. To retain seed protein and germinability after
storage, cowpea seeds picked at 150 DAS should be stored in polythene bags for
planting in the next season.