In West Africa, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is an important source of protein for many people. To meet the protein demands, the cowpea yields per unit area and its seed protein content must be increased. We evaluated the effects of the planting density and topdressing (fertilisation) timing on the cowpea yield and its protein content. High density (HD: 40 × 40 cm) and super high density (SHD: 40 × 20 cm) plantings were the most efficient approaches for enhancing cowpea yields. Across different regions in Burkina Faso, under such approaches, the yield significantly increased by as much as 214.5%, with an average value of 88.9%. Fertilisation was not required to achieve the significant increases in cowpea production following dense planting. Although the yield increased, the seed weight per plant decreased with the increase in planting density. Applying topdressing when the plants started flowering increased the seed protein content significantly by up to 24.4%. Simple and robust technologies, such as high-density planting and topdressing, can be rapidly disseminated for increased cowpea yields and protein content improvement for Burkina Faso and for other countries.

https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020199

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Haruki Ishikawahttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6215-2622

Christian Fatokunhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-7939

Ousmanehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0234-4264

https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12020199

Biotech and Plant Breeding; Plant Production and Health

Agronomy; Cowpea; Food Security; Grain Legumes; Plant Breeding; Plant Production

Grain Legumes; Cowpeas; Fertilization; Seeds; Yields; Planting Density

Africa; West Africa

Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)

Headquarters and Western Africa Hub

Agriculture