Use of vegetable mulching in the cultivation of cowpea irrigated with brackish water

The use of vegetable mulching is an alternative to mitigate salt stress. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate cowpea’s agronomic performance under vegetable mulching use in the phenological stages under saline stress. The experimental design used was completely randomized, using a 6 × 2 factorial scheme, referring to the use of mulching in the phenological stages of the cowpea (VMTC = vegetable mulching throughout the cycle; NMTC = no vegetable mulching throughout the cycle; VM22 = vegetable mulching up to 22 days after sowing (DAS); VMA22 = vegetable mulching after 22 DAS; VM32 = vegetable mulching up to 32 DAS; and, VMA32 = vegetable mulching after 32 DAS), and two electrical conductivities of the irrigation water - ECw (0.4 and 4.0 dS m-1), with four replications. Irrigation with higher salinity water (4.0 dS m-1) reduces leaf number, plant height, stem diameter and leaf area of the bean crop, and pH of the soil saturation paste. Mulching at 32 DAS reduces the deleterious effects of salts, promoting a higher number of grains, an increase in pod length, a higher pod dry mass, and higher yields for the cowpea.