The effects of some cryptogamic extracts on the primary productivity of Vigna unguiculata L. Walp

Abstract

The effect of hot and cold aqueous extracts of Barbula lambarenensis, Dryopteris flix-max; Nephrolepis
davalloides, Phymatodes scolopenta, Platycerium angolense and Azadrachta indica and Karate 2.5EC
(chemical) on the primary productivity of cowpea were investigated. The extracts of the plant materials
and the chemical were appropriately used to irrigate the cowpea twice a week during flowering. The
number of pods per plant, length of pods, number of seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, filling
potentials and the weight of seeds per plant were determined for each of the 14 regimes. It was found
that all the treatments other than cold extracts of B. lambarenensis, extracts of Dryopteris and
Nephrolepis showed better performance than the untreated in the measured variables. Cowpea treated
with hot aqueous B. lambarenensis extracts, hot and cold extracts of P. scolopenta, P. angolense and
A. indica compared favourably and even better than the one treated with Karate 2.5EC (Lambda –
cyhalothrin), a universally used chemical. This shows that these plants can serve as good materials or
alternatives to Karate and can therefore be integrated into use for the production of cowpea.