Cowpea growth and production under water stress and soil mulching

Cowpea is a crop of high socioeconomic importance for the semi-arid region of Brazil, although facing significant yield losses due to drought, requiring management strategies to overcome this scenario. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield of cowpea genotypes under drought in different cultivation systems. The statistical design was randomized blocks arranged in a 2 x 4 x 2 factorial scheme corresponding to two cowpea genotypes (BRS Pujante and Costela de Vaca), four levels of crop evapotranspiration (40, 60, 80, and 100%), and two cultivation systems (with and without soil mulching). The BRS Pujante showed a higher leaf area and 100-grain weight than Costela de Vaca under all levels of crop evapotranspiration. The cowpea yield parameters showed the best results at 80 and 100% crop evapotranspiration. Regardless of the genotype, soil mulching provided higher cowpea 100-grain weight values. Soil mulching combined with 80% crop evapotranspiration is an appropriate strategy for cowpea production.