Influence of Spacing on Growth and Yield of Cowpea ( <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp.) Varieties Under Rainfed in the Guinea Savannah Zone of Ghana

Background and Objective : The type of spacing in cowpea production influences the economic and biological yield of the crop in the sub Saharan region and Ghana in particular. Therefore, the use of inappropriate spacing by farmers in cowpea production is one of the major factors that reduces cowpea yield. The study examined the effect of planting distance on growth and yield of cowpea plants. Materials and Methods: The experiment was laid out in a split‐plot design with three replications. The planting distances (spacing) used for the study were 90 cm × 20 cm, 60 cm × 20 cm and 30 cm × 20 cm, while the cowpea varieties were Kirk‐house, Padi‐tuya and Wan‐kai. Data was analyzed using Genstat statistical package edition 12. Analysis of variance was computed and means were separated using LSD at 5% probability level. Results: The study revealed that most of the growth and yield parameters, such as plant height, number of branches, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and total grain yield were significantly ( p &lt; 0.05) affected by planting distance, and cowpea variety. The highest plant height (28.68 cm) of the cowpea was recorded under the 90 cm × 20 cm planting distance. The study also found that the spacing of 90 cm × 20 cm produced the largest leaf area (102.2 cm 2 ). The study also revealed that the variety Kirk‐house, under the planting distance of 30 cm × 20 cm, produced the highest number of nodules (11 kg/ha), and total grain yield (3384 kg/ha). Conclusion: The variety Kirk‐house recorded relatively better growth and yield parameters as compared to the varieties Padi‐tuya and Wan‐kai. The 30 cm × 20 cm spacing produced comparatively better grain yield and yield components than the planting distances, such as 60 cm x 20 cm and 90 cm × 20 cm. It is therefore recommended that farmers should cultivate Kirk‐house at planting distance of 30 cm × 20 cm for maximum grain yield.