Abstract
Core Ideas Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass. Rainfed conditions resulted in 57% decrease in N 2 fixation compared to well‐watered. Inter‐seasonal variability in rainfall accounted for 58% difference in cowpea grain yield. Future increase in drought and heat stress will challenge legume productivity in many regions. In Sub‐Saharan Africa, legumes are earmarked as an integral component in building resilience to climate change and food security in smallholder farming systems. Hence, the need for continuous screening of drought tolerant legume genotypes for sustained productivity. A 2‐yr field study was conducted to identify superior cowpea genotypes with high biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), grain yield, and drought tolerance. Four genotypes, selected from a pool of 91, were grown under four moisture levels ranging from well‐watered (WW) to severe water stress (SS). Grain yield, shoot biomass, nodule mass, and BNF were determined. There was significant effect of water stress on the measured parameters. Nodule mass and BNF were more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass across genotypes. Water stress resulted in 80% reduction in nodule biomass between WW and SS. As a result, cowpea genotypes grown under SS conditions fixed 57% less N 2 compared to those under WW. The study also revealed significant genotypic variation in shoot biomass, grain yield, and BNF. Genotype TVu4607 was low in grain yield but performed better for BNF (71 kg N ha −1 under WW and 30 kg N ha −1 under SS). Genotype IT00K‐1263, proved to be our superior genotype with a good balance of biomass, BNF and grain yield. Our findings suggest that future water stress may significantly affect cowpea productivity, mostly its capacity to fix nitrogen. Consequently, adaptation strategies to improve drought resistance in cowpea are needed, particularly improvement of BNF under water stress.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Nodule mass and BNF were more sensitive to water stress than shoot biomass across cowpea genotypes.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae7 - Treatment
- water stresse0
- Outcome
- Nodule mass and BNFe0
- Comparator
- shoot biomasse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e0“Nodule mass and BNF were more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass across genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Water stress resulted in an 80% reduction in nodule biomass between well-watered and severe stress conditions.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatae7
- Treatment
- Water stresse1
- Outcome
- nodule biomasse1
- Direction
- reductione1
- Value
- 80%e1
- Comparator
- WWe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e1“Water stress resulted in 80% reduction in nodule biomass between WW and SS”
Claim · model-written summary
Rainfed conditions decreased N2 fixation by 57% compared with well-watered cowpea.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatae7
- Treatment
- Rainfed conditionse2
- Outcome
- N 2 fixatione2
- Direction
- decreasee2
- Value
- 57%e2
- Comparator
- compared to well‐waterede2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e2“Rainfed conditions resulted in 57% decrease in N 2 fixation compared to well‐watered”
Claim · model-written summary
Genotype TVu4607 fixed 71 kg N ha−1 of N2 under well-watered conditions.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e4“Genotype TVu4607 was low in grain yield but performed better for BNF (71 kg N ha −1 under WW and 30 kg N ha −1 under SS)”
Claim · model-written summary
Genotype TVu4607 fixed 30 kg N ha−1 of N2 under severe water stress.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e4“Genotype TVu4607 was low in grain yield but performed better for BNF (71 kg N ha −1 under WW and 30 kg N ha −1 under SS)”
Claim · model-written summary
Genotype TVu4607 was low in grain yield.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatae7
- Material
- TVu4607e4
- Outcome
- grain yielde4
- Direction
- lowe4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e4“Genotype TVu4607 was low in grain yield but performed better for BNF (71 kg N ha −1 under WW and 30 kg N ha −1 under SS)”
Claim · model-written summary
Genotype IT00K‐1263 had a good balance of biomass, BNF and grain yield and was the superior genotype.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatae7
- Material
- IT00K‐1263e5
- Outcome
- biomass, BNF and grain yielde5
- Qualifier
- good balancee5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e5“Genotype IT00K‐1263, proved to be our superior genotype with a good balance of biomass, BNF and grain yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea genotypes showed significant genotypic variation in shoot biomass, grain yield and BNF.
- Taxon
- CowpeaVigna unguiculatae7
- Outcome
- genotypic variation in shoot biomass, grain yield, and BNFe6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e6“significant genotypic variation in shoot biomass, grain yield, and BNF”
Claim · model-written summary
Rainfall variability accounted for a 58% difference in cowpea grain yield between seasons.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae3
- Treatment
- variability in rainfalle3
- Outcome
- cowpea grain yielde3
- Value
- 58%e3
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Cowpea nodule biomass was more sensitive to water stress compared to shoot biomass”
e3“variability in rainfall accounted for 58% difference in cowpea grain yield”
The same questions in other papers
drought · symbiosis · Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)Results agree
5 papers in the same direction as this paper
- negative
- negative
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2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.