Assess Absorbent Super Polymer on Reducing the Effects of Low Irrigation in Cowpea Fields (Vigna unguiculata L.)

BACKGROUND: The implementation of irrigation techniques in order to be more productive than water resources is a scientific approach to reducing water consumption. OBJECTIVES: This research was done with the aim of investigating the effect of different levels of superabsorbent and irrigation management on Cowpea crop production and growth indices in Ahvaz region. METHODS: Current study was conducted according strip plots based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications during 2019-2020 crop season. The first factor was irrigation includes Furrow full irrigation (control), Fixed alternate furrow irrigation and variable alternate furrow irrigation. The second factor included three levels of super absorbent polymer as non-used super absorbent (control), consumption of 75 and 150 kg.ha-1. RESULT: The results showed that the effect of super absorption was significant on all measured traits including leaf area index, total dry matter, crop growth rate, seed yield, except net photosynthesis rate. The effect of low irrigation was significant on all traits except crop growth rate and net photosynthesis rate. The interaction effect of low irrigation and superabsorbent on all investigated traits was not significant. The highest and lowest in the examined traits were observed in the field with normal irrigation and fixed furrow irrigation, respectively and among the different amounts of superabsorbent, the highest and lowest values in all examined traits except net photosynthesis rate were observed under the application conditions of 150 kg.ha-1 and non use of super absorbent. In general, the results of the experiment showed that different irrigation methods had an effect on all the morphological, physiological and yield characteristics of cowpea. CONCLUSION: The application of superabsorbent improved the physiological and morphological traits in normal irrigation conditions and in fields with low irrigation, it led to the reduction of the effects of drought stress and the improvement of the damages caused by it, which can be of interest to researchers and farmers.