@article{fdi:010097716,
  title = {{N}itrogen fixation in {V}igna unguiculata ({L}.) {W}alp. in {S}enegal is affected by organic input and variety},
  author = {{M}bengue, {M}. and {F}all, {S}. and {D}iedhiou, {I}. and {C}ournac, {L}aurent and {C}lermont {D}auphin, {C}athy},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{L}egumes such as cowpea ({V}igna unguiculata), significantly contribute to sustainable agriculture by

offering economic, ecological, and nutritional advantages. {A} key mechanism behind these advantages is

their capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiosis with soil bacteria. {T}his study quantified the

nitrogen fixation of a local and a research-derived cowpea variety intercropped with millet across six

farmers' fields. {T}hese fields presented contrasting histories of farmyard manure application. {N} fixation

was assessed using the natural abundance of 15{N} method. {I}nterestingly, while the local cowpea variety

obtained a smaller proportion of its nitrogen from the atmosphere (61%), it fixed a considerably larger

amount of nitrogen (40 kg ha-1) and assimilated more total nitrogen (72 kg ha-1) particularly in amended

fields. {T}he substantial increase in nitrogen uptake per unit area, driven by significantly higher biomass

production of the local variety in amended fields, was associated with a trade-off: the cowpea competed

strongly with the intercropped millet, likely for the limited soil water resources. {W}e concluded that organic

input and cowpea variety influenced cowpea nitrogen fixation in these agroecosystems. {F}armers typically

sow the local cowpea variety at lower density than tested here, probably to minimize its competition with

millet. {T}he selection of cowpea varieties should therefore balance the goal of limiting cowpea-millet

competition against maximizing cowpea grain and fodder yields.},
  keywords = {{SENEGAL} ; {DIOHINE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{I}nnovations {A}gronomiques},
  volume = {99},
  numero = {},
  pages = {79--89},
  ISSN = {1958-5853},
  year = {2025},
  DOI = {10.17180/ciag-2025-vol99-art08-{GB}},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010097716},
}