Cultures associées de coton ("Gossypium hirsutum") et de niébé ("Vigna unguiculata") au Zaïre

Auteurs

    Ofunda Kalonda

Résumé

The present paper examines the possibility of developing mixed crops of cotton and cowpea in the Bambesa area of Zaïre. Local farmers are unfamiliar with this technique, which is not normally part of their rotation system. Various methods of introducing cowpea into cotton fields were evaluated in terms of sowing-date, -density and- location for both crops, and of seed-bed spacing for cotton. The experiments lasted 5 years and compared the following techniques : (1) sowing cowpea within or between cotton lines ; (2) three different degrees of spacing the cotton seed beds, namely 80 x 30 cm, 90 x 30 cm and 100 x 40 cm ; and (3) introducing cowpea seeds into the cotton crop 3, 4, 5 or 6 weeks after sowing. The varieties used had a cycle of 135 days for cotton and 72 days for cowpea. Results showed that associating cotton with cowpea was favorable in terms of yield when cotton seed beds were spaced at 80 x 30 cm and when cowpea seeds were sown between the cotton lines 4-5 weeks after the latter was sown. Later introduction decreased cowpea production, while an earlier introduction decreased the yield of cotton. Insecticide treatments were a major problem and should be applied with caution. The chemicals used should have a short remanence (< 14 days) and should be devoid of toxic effets on man. Cowpea should not be harvested before the treatment remanence-period has elapsed. We conclude that the beneficial nature of cowpea-cotton mixed crops should encourage farmers in certain part of Zaïre to produce a combination of cash crop and useful edible legume.

Affiliations

INERA-Bambesa, BP 1513, Kisangani, Zaïre.

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Publié

1993-03-01

Comment citer

Kalonda, O. (1993). Cultures associées de coton ("Gossypium hirsutum") et de niébé ("Vigna unguiculata") au Zaïre. Cahiers Agricultures, 2(2), 146–149 (1). Consulté à l’adresse https://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/cahiers-agricultures/article/view/29783

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