Pattern of Growth and Dry Matter Accumulation in Some Improved Cowpea Varieties (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>) Exposed to Alpha Nano Spin

Ten (10) cowpea varieties exposed to alpha nano spin were evaluated during the 2019 cropping season to access the role of alpha nano spin in their growth and dry matter accumulation at the Botanical garden of Federal University, Lafia. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications was used. The fourth replication was used for the destructive sampling over time. The seed was exposed to alpha nano spin before planting at 0, 20, 40 and 60 minutes respectively. Results of the study showed that the varieties differed significantly with respect to morphological traits studied (P < 0.05) as exposed to the alpha nanoparticles. Morphological traits such as vine length, number of leaves and above ground stems were significantly influenced by alpha nano spin bombardment. 40 mins alpha nano spin resulted in maximum accumulation of dry matter, leaf area and leaf area index. The traits evaluated were stable under alpha nano spin exposure, suggesting that they could be useful indices in creating genetic variability in each of the varieties.